as in collisions
the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact
a dangerous stretch of roadway that has been the scene of numerous car wrecks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
2
as in ruins
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wrecks
Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
The crashes unfolded in the Rocky Mountains west of Denver, specifically near Loveland Ski Area, and followed a chaotic morning that saw six separate wrecks, mostly along the same highway, according to the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Winkler had studied thousands of wrecks.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
But upon entering, students are fighting with each other, learning how to get into wrecks, and generally falling on the ground a lot.
—Matias Ocner, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
In a 2024 study, researchers studied nine years of wrecks in Texas up until January 2020.
—Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 12 Apr. 2026
The crash was just the latest in a series of incidents involving auto wrecks and drugs for the golfer.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
While traditionally believed not to be a problem (unless visiting wrecks or ammo dumps), awareness is now growing that the sunken munitions could pose a serious environmental risk.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
Wendy’s wandering eye wrecks rehearsals.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026
In a film like this, you’re ostensibly meant to root against the terror that the central characters wrecks on his victims.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2026
This process wrecks kidney and heart tissue, causing the heart to enlarge and blood vessels to become stiffer, impeding circulation and setting the stage for clots.
—Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
The larger dragon has two car launchers and a fire-breathing effect that wrecks passing cars.
—Clint Davis, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
That sport is so incredible and wrecks your body.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
Messy data wrecks forecasts, distorts reporting and wastes time.
—Thasha Batts, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
The researchers did not have archaeological documentation of most of the wrecks before the project.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
The crashes unfolded in the Rocky Mountains west of Denver, specifically near Loveland Ski Area, and followed a chaotic morning that saw six separate wrecks, mostly along the same highway, according to the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Winkler had studied thousands of wrecks.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
But upon entering, students are fighting with each other, learning how to get into wrecks, and generally falling on the ground a lot.
—Matias Ocner, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
In a 2024 study, researchers studied nine years of wrecks in Texas up until January 2020.
—Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 12 Apr. 2026
The crash was just the latest in a series of incidents involving auto wrecks and drugs for the golfer.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
While traditionally believed not to be a problem (unless visiting wrecks or ammo dumps), awareness is now growing that the sunken munitions could pose a serious environmental risk.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
Wendy’s wandering eye wrecks rehearsals.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026
In a film like this, you’re ostensibly meant to root against the terror that the central characters wrecks on his victims.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2026
This process wrecks kidney and heart tissue, causing the heart to enlarge and blood vessels to become stiffer, impeding circulation and setting the stage for clots.
—Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
The larger dragon has two car launchers and a fire-breathing effect that wrecks passing cars.
—Clint Davis, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
That sport is so incredible and wrecks your body.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
Messy data wrecks forecasts, distorts reporting and wastes time.
—Thasha Batts, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrecks
Noun
-
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has initiated multiple investigations into possible safety defects with Tesla's FSD, after several collisions, including a fatal 2023 crash.—
Robert Ferris,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Block collisions need to be balanced with efficient play-arounds to create more tackle tries.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Two married sea-explorers are stranded, Gilligan-style, after a storm shipwrecks their craft.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
English ivy ruins paint jobs, encourages wood rot, and damages stucco and the mortar between bricks.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Jeff then immediately ruins the stakes-building tension by launching into an interminable Applebee’s ad.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This is Formula 1 on water—full speed with elbows out, crashes included.—
G.W. Allen,
Robb Report,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Each year, more than 200 people are killed in crashes across the five boroughs.—
Mike Flynn,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Besides the occasional random spider that scuttles indoors, some spiders can live in out-of-the-way spots in your home, such as along ceilings or in basements and behind clutter.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The agreement follows years of uncertainty over the papers' future and scuttles a rival bid by the owner of the Daily Mail to buy the Telegraph titles.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Levine Cava said the Kelly Tractor project destroys too many wetlands and bypasses county rules on approving development proposed outside Miami-Dade’s Urban Development Boundary.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The novel begins with a deadly fire that destroys two tenements.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One of only two Level 7 accidents, when a steam explosion destroyed reactor number four at the Ukrainian plant.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Parents should keep an eye on their kids to avoid accidents.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Heart of the Beast centers on a former Army Special Forces soldier (Pitt), who fights for survival with his combat dog after a plane crash strands them in the Alaskan wilderness.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Then there’s the murky void of David Zinn’s set, which strands the characters up until the final scene in New England apartments and hotel rooms rendered entirely in black.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrecks. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
