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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Example Sentences
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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
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
But the $1 million community project fund brought by Lee to the borough won't be used to hire contractors and their wrecking crews.
—Tory Wegerski, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
Now, the great hyperscalers are wrecking their balance sheets.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026
The brand nails high-quality essentials that look luxe without wrecking your travel budget.
—Claire Gallam, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
The wrecking contractor did a superb job of clearing the area.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Pop legend Taylor Swift’s friends and lovers (ahem, Travis Kelce) can’t stop breaking her chairs and wrecking her house.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
San Antonio is among the top 20 cities in America to organize a wedding without completely wrecking your bank account, according to WalletHub.
—Rhyma Castillo, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Feb. 2026
At other locations in the valley, hospices operated inside strip malls alongside burrito stands, nail salons, dance studios, tax preparers and even an auto parts store and wrecking yard.
—William La Jeunesse, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 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
From tiny insects like flies and butterflies at the edge of the frame, to large mountains, clouds full of rain, even great wrecking machines — everything is animated with precision and beauty.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
But the $1 million community project fund brought by Lee to the borough won't be used to hire contractors and their wrecking crews.
—Tory Wegerski, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
Now, the great hyperscalers are wrecking their balance sheets.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026
The brand nails high-quality essentials that look luxe without wrecking your travel budget.
—Claire Gallam, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
The wrecking contractor did a superb job of clearing the area.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Pop legend Taylor Swift’s friends and lovers (ahem, Travis Kelce) can’t stop breaking her chairs and wrecking her house.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
San Antonio is among the top 20 cities in America to organize a wedding without completely wrecking your bank account, according to WalletHub.
—Rhyma Castillo, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Feb. 2026
At other locations in the valley, hospices operated inside strip malls alongside burrito stands, nail salons, dance studios, tax preparers and even an auto parts store and wrecking yard.
—William La Jeunesse, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrecking
Noun
-
The wreck is in the same area where the founder of the exploration organization died in June 2024.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Only a wreck or oddly conservative run could take them off the medal stand and Shiffrin skied tentatively, leaving the Americans fourth.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Artificial reefs, created by scuttling ships, sinking oil rigs, or dropping rubble into the sea, have long been known to improve aquatic life, so perhaps these findings are unsurprising.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
19 Dec. 2025
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Pro tip Tack on a night at the Balmoral prior to the trip to avoid any travel snafus scuttling your voyage, and perhaps a few more on the back end to allow proper time to reacclimate.—
Jake Emen,
Robb Report,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The firestorm ravaged Pacific Palisades and Altadena, killing 31, destroying more than 16,000 structures and contaminating others with toxins and heavy metals.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Special prosecutors indict Kim Keon Hee and former Prime Minister Han on charges of abetting Yoon’s imposition of martial law, falsifying and destroying official documents and lying under oath.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The video did not mention any specific orders, but the six were plainly referring to the sinking of Venezuelan ships in international waters topped off by the killing of survivors clinging to the wreckage of their vessel.—
James D. Zirin,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the sinking.—
Michael Casey,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The incident, which took place about five miles downstream of New Bullards Bar Dam, led to the deaths of hundreds, possibly thousands, of juvenile salmon after lower Yuba’s river flows dropped by more than half and remained low for roughly two hours, stranding fish along the margins of the river.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The right-hander’s troubles started after back-to-back walks in the first inning loaded the bases, which ultimately yielded two runs, though Davis avoided a disastrous inning by stranding runners on second and third with a groundout.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Steam cleaning is an effective way to sanitize and refresh your mattress, but the wrong technique can end up ruining the fabric.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Bree doesn’t even realize that Evan is already in the process of ruining everything.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Converting Gary Works to an Electric Arc Furnace facility would mean shutting down the entire plant, demolishing it, and building new facilities.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The plans accommodate through-running train capacity without demolishing the neighborhood south of Penn.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This happens when heavy rain or snowmelt raises the river level, shattering the existing ice cover.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The first attempt ended in shattering disappointment.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrecking. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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