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
Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
The wrecks sparked conversations in cities across the metro about how to approach traffic safety improvements overall, not just for e-bike users.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Industrial wrecks such as the old Studebaker factory are in the process of becoming data centers and office parks.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
And the sense of reverence for the wrecks is palpable, especially in those who choose to explore these watery historical sites.
—Brian Higgins, Outside, 2 Mar. 2026
Neighbors worried the venue would mean more congestion and wrecks and lower property values.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Gardea said there are high-speed wrecks on highways through Farmington, and a lot of tourists drive through on weekends to get to the mountains.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
Details about Tesla’s wrecks are slim.
—Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
Shipwreck hunters have been searching the lakes with more urgency in recent years out of concerns that invasive quagga mussels are slowly destroying wrecks.
—Todd Richmond, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 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
Wendy’s wandering eye wrecks rehearsals.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
The wrecks sparked conversations in cities across the metro about how to approach traffic safety improvements overall, not just for e-bike users.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Industrial wrecks such as the old Studebaker factory are in the process of becoming data centers and office parks.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
And the sense of reverence for the wrecks is palpable, especially in those who choose to explore these watery historical sites.
—Brian Higgins, Outside, 2 Mar. 2026
Neighbors worried the venue would mean more congestion and wrecks and lower property values.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Gardea said there are high-speed wrecks on highways through Farmington, and a lot of tourists drive through on weekends to get to the mountains.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
Details about Tesla’s wrecks are slim.
—Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
Shipwreck hunters have been searching the lakes with more urgency in recent years out of concerns that invasive quagga mussels are slowly destroying wrecks.
—Todd Richmond, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 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
-
Seeing light from such events would provide valuable clues about the environments where these collisions take place.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Arizona's Meteor Crater and other scars leftover from collisions with space rocks continue to serve up their secrets.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Two married sea-explorers are stranded, Gilligan-style, after a storm shipwrecks their craft.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
For more history, the Maya ruins all over the area never fail to surprise, but Tulum remains singular with the only major Mayan site built dramatically atop seaside cliff.—
Gina Góngora,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
-
In games that matter, one bad inning — one weak link on the chain — ruins a whole game.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lawmakers should act now to require strong insurance minimums and clearly assign responsibility, treating autonomous vehicle crashes as standard motor vehicle claims handled through ordinary auto insurance — not complex product litigation.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
These crashes frequently kill the animals and lead to hundreds of human deaths.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
However, the harsh radiation inside such nebulae normally destroys fragile compounds, making the survival of volatile ice extremely unlikely.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Brown destroys man coverage, threatens all three levels of the field and can rack up yards after the catch.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As the department has conducted more traffic stops, the number of fatal traffic accidents has gone down.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2026
-
By that logic, the way to reduce vehicle accidents is to put more vehicles on the road.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hall strands him with his third K of the day.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Most of the options that Reclamation has studied to date lead to unacceptable risks of dead pool at Lake Mead — a prospect that strands water behind Hoover Dam as the surface level drops below hydropower and outlet tubes, said John Berggren, regional policy manager for Western Resource Advocates.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrecks. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
