Synonyms of wrecking

wrecking 1 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wreck
• sinking
• shipwreck
• shipwrecking
• wreckage
• stranding
• beaching
• grounding
• foundering
• scuttling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recovery
• salvage
• salvaging

wrecking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of wreck

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

• scuttling
• stranding
• shipwrecking
• foundering
• beaching

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recovering
• salvaging

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• destroying
• ruining
• demolishing
• shattering
• devastating
• smashing
• damaging
• overcoming
• wasting
• annihilating
• eroding
• decimating
• extinguishing
• pulverizing
• ravaging
• marring
• razing
• vaporizing
• crippling
• dismantling
• crushing
• killing
• wracking
• totaling
• blasting
• breaking
• creaming
• tearing down
• defeating
• nuking
• removing
• pulling down
• injuring
• doing in
• desolating
• rubbing out
• subduing
• spoiling
• harming
• impairing
• conquering
• disintegrating
• deteriorating
• trimming
• licking
• mutilating
• mastering
• clobbering
• whipping
• dynamiting
• mangling
• defacing
• prevailing (over)
• routing
• disfiguring
• dissolving
• surmounting
• eradicating
• thrashing
• obliterating
• winning (against)
• undoing
• plundering
• gutting
• scouring
• beating
• vandalizing
• walloping
• wearing (away)
• slaughtering
• disassembling
• besting
• murdering
• vitiating
• exterminating
• triumphing (over)
• sweeping (away)
• assassinating
• sacking
• looting
• despoiling
• trashing
• expunging
• trampling
• trouncing
• liquidating
• extirpating
• pillaging
• executing
• blowing up
• scotching
• effacing
• massacring
• washing out
• overmatching
• wiping out
• overbearing
• drubbing
• dispatching
• taking down
• slaying
• zapping
• butchering
• cutting down
• stamping (out)
• dilapidating
• unmaking
• blotting out
• unbuilding
• rooting (out)
• felling
• skunking
• killing off
• snuffing (out)
• mowing (down)
• taking out
• havocking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• building
• constructing
• repairing
• raising
• erecting
• creating
• fixing
• rearing
• setting up
• producing
• making
• forming
• putting up
• inventing
• shaping
• manufacturing
• assembling
• establishing
• forging
• protecting
• organizing
• fashioning
• framing
• revamping
• preserving
• patching
• saving
• reconditioning
• mending
• molding
• fabricating
• constituting
• instituting
• restoring
• rebuilding
• doctoring
• founding
• conserving
• bringing about
• reconstructing
• remodeling
• fathering
• renovating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wrecking

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

Most of the peril comes with dangerous ship-wrecking moments, including one that implies the death of Moana's relative, while our heroine herself almost drowns on her first voyage from land. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 July 2026

The blaze remained confined to the wrecking yard property, despite briefly jumping a fence and igniting vegetation to the west. — Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026

The good news is that dermatologists and makeup artists have figured out how to keep your SPF topped up without wrecking your foundation, blush or setting spray. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026

As many little heartbeats as possible, just running around, wrecking stuff in the house. — Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026

What is in tandem here is the exuberantly generative possibility of life itself (SCOBY, water) alongside the very synthetic polymers that are literally wrecking life on an individual and systemic level. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026

Belt-Stubblefield did not stop and ended up wrecking his car. — Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 6 June 2026

The kind of game-wrecking force that the Rams enjoyed playing behind during Aaron Donald’s tenure, and one the defense has missed since Donald’s retirement prior to the 2024 season. — Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 2 June 2026

Those teams already are wrecking the owners’ claims that baseball lacks competitive balance. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 27 May 2026