as in wreck
the destruction or loss of a ship
the wrecking of the freighter was one of the worst disasters ever on the Great Lakes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in scuttling
to cause irreparable damage to (a ship) by running aground or sinking
many an unwary captain has wrecked his ship on the shoals that surround the island
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
most of the furniture on the ground floor was wrecked by the floodwaters
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Recent Examples of wrecking
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
In one case, the life of an upper-class woman and contemporary of Julius Caesar, Clodia, saw her reputation destroyed by false claims of harlotry, home-wrecking, and husband-killing.
—Time, 24 Nov. 2025
The addresses listed in the wrecking permits border the east of the truck plant where Ford makes its iconic Super Duty trucks, Expedition SUVs and luxury Lincoln Navigators.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Leaving a dog at home alone can be nerve-wrecking for many owners, but pet-cam footage shows why Larry the greyhound's owner has nothing to worry about.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
The wrecking begins when Carey (Marvin), Paul’s best friend, ill-advisedly sleeps with Julie—and then, more ill-advisedly still, confesses it to Paul the next day.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Junk yards and auto wrecking services will soon be paying $354 instead of $273 for their new license, and secondhand dealers will see reduced fees — paying $354 instead of $480.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
On 16 December 2021, typhoon Odette rang in a new chapter, wrecking the island and reducing much of the resort to rubble.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
Victor Wembanyama delivered another masterpiece with 39 points, 15 rebounds and more game-wrecking defense for the San Antonio Spurs, who took a 2-1 lead in the second-round NBA playoff series with a 115-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
—CBS News, 9 May 2026
The animal begins wrecking the fields and terrorizing the people.
—Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
The tornado left a trail of damage in Hillsdale, Kansas, Monday night, wrecking an RV park, toppling power lines, leveling homes and destroying a storage facility near West 255th Street.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
Then the game-wrecking interior defensive lineman had a down year coming off surgery for a dislocated elbow.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
The brand nails high-quality essentials that look luxe without wrecking your travel budget.
—Claire Gallam, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
At least, there was a lot less wrecking.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
In one case, the life of an upper-class woman and contemporary of Julius Caesar, Clodia, saw her reputation destroyed by false claims of harlotry, home-wrecking, and husband-killing.
—Time, 24 Nov. 2025
The addresses listed in the wrecking permits border the east of the truck plant where Ford makes its iconic Super Duty trucks, Expedition SUVs and luxury Lincoln Navigators.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Leaving a dog at home alone can be nerve-wrecking for many owners, but pet-cam footage shows why Larry the greyhound's owner has nothing to worry about.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
The wrecking begins when Carey (Marvin), Paul’s best friend, ill-advisedly sleeps with Julie—and then, more ill-advisedly still, confesses it to Paul the next day.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
Those teams already are wrecking the owners’ claims that baseball lacks competitive balance.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Junk yards and auto wrecking services will soon be paying $354 instead of $273 for their new license, and secondhand dealers will see reduced fees — paying $354 instead of $480.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
On 16 December 2021, typhoon Odette rang in a new chapter, wrecking the island and reducing much of the resort to rubble.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
Victor Wembanyama delivered another masterpiece with 39 points, 15 rebounds and more game-wrecking defense for the San Antonio Spurs, who took a 2-1 lead in the second-round NBA playoff series with a 115-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
—CBS News, 9 May 2026
The animal begins wrecking the fields and terrorizing the people.
—Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
The tornado left a trail of damage in Hillsdale, Kansas, Monday night, wrecking an RV park, toppling power lines, leveling homes and destroying a storage facility near West 255th Street.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
Then the game-wrecking interior defensive lineman had a down year coming off surgery for a dislocated elbow.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
The brand nails high-quality essentials that look luxe without wrecking your travel budget.
—Claire Gallam, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrecking
Noun
-
Then in the race, starting last, I got involved in a wreck.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
The wreck was first discovered in 2017 during a joint expedition by the Russian Geographic Society and the Russian military.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Downstairs, a styling session for the fall 2026 collection; up here, on the fourth floor, almost every inch of space is taken by patternmakers, bolts of fabric, designers scuttling about, and racks and more racks of clothes.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2026
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Paramount cliched its $31-a-share in cash merger for WBD on February 27, scuttling Warner’s previous agreement with Netflix.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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It was compounded when a West Contra Costa storage unit caught fire, destroying Alvin’s belongings, their mother testified.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Truly domesticating bees required a hive with movable frames, one that would allow beekeepers to examine their bees and harvest honey without destroying the colony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Noun
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So, when planning began for the Lincoln Memorial in the early 1910s, builders faced a real sinking problem.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
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Lower flows mean less sediment flushing downstream, accelerating the sinking of the Louisiana delta.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
Verb
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With Estrada warming up, Vásquez made it through the fifth by stranding two runners following a one-out single and two-out walk, his first of the night.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
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Ryan impressively pitched out of several jams early on Monday, stranding two runners in scoring position in the first inning and another in the fourth.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Undefeated this season on clay, the 15th-seeded Ukrainian player reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time on Sunday by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
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Here's how to identify black spot and prevent it from ruining your roses.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The plan involves demolishing the building and constructing a near-replica on the same Beatties Ford Road footprint.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
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Indeed, back in the 1990s and 2000s, municipalities across the country were happily demolishing Brutalist eyesores made to house the poor.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Those strikes heavily damaged the bases, burying most tunnel entrances under mountains of debris and shattering roads leading to the sites.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
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As the pattern settled in, summer heat finally arrived across the northern tier, shattering nearly 50 records, with temperatures up to 20 degrees above average, Fox Weather reported.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrecking. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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