wrecks 1 of 2

plural of wreck
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

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wrecks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of wreck
1
as in shipwrecks
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

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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

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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
Noun
Waltrip obviously got into hundreds of wrecks over his nearly 30-year racing career. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026 In the subsequent highway traffic backup there were two additional wrecks, including at least eight vehicles. — Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026 Car wrecks and other mishaps lead to people disappearing, only to be later found submerged underwater. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026 Huron Aviation, Alpena, Michigan (Lake Huron) Get a unique perspective on the wrecks in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary by seeing them from the air. — Stacy Conde, Midwest Living, 10 Aug. 2026 Car wrecks in which people are injured are frequent and many are not criminal matters, defense attorney Gill said in his closing argument in the guilt-innocence trial phase. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Aug. 2026 The dramatic reappearance of the rusting wrecks has become one of the most striking visual reminders of both Europe’s wartime history and the severe drought currently gripping much of the continent. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026 At least 20 World War II wrecks of various sizes are now visible to the naked eye from the banks of Prahovo. — CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 There are shallow but rich dives; full-of-life, accessible wrecks; and thriving reefs, including my favorite spot, the unlikely cement plant, with seahorses and octopus reclining beneath its pier pilings—pilings that are fantastical once underwater. — Jonnie Bayfield, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026
Verb
That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them. — New Atlas, 24 July 2026 As is the case with the Delta Aquarids, the moon, only one day past full, unfortunately, wrecks any chances of getting any decent views this year. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 18 July 2026 Those findings may sound like proof the job wrecks your hormones. — Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 16 July 2026 Kyle Busch wrecks Ron Hornaday under caution! — Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 21 May 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrecks
Noun
  • For the latter, this is vital to enable the safe passage of ships through shipping lanes, into and out of ports, all the while preventing collisions and aiding activities like search and rescue.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
  • That group, which focuses on efforts to reduce the number of fatal vehicle collisions, has produced dozens of digital campaign ads promoting Raman and criticizing her opponent, Mayor Karen Bass.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, young boys gradually become feral and sadistic when trapped on an island together, and in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero magically shipwrecks his brother and his allies so that they will all be exiled together under his watch.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Verb
  • George Santos simply cannot get up After surprising the DS by passing the first task — falling out of a hovering helicopter backward — Santos ruins his big moment by struggling to swim to the dock and not being able to lift himself out of the water.
    — Sarah Hearon, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Nothing ruins an outfit faster than an ill-fitting bra, which is why this V-neck option caught our eye.
    — Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The issue comes after years of delays of Boeing’s Max planes following safety and manufacturing crises, including the two deadly crashes of Max 8 aircraft in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
    — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
  • There’s a blank panel next to the 14 crashes, an ominous open space ripe for fresh carnage.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 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
  • This scuttles a compromise, whereby paintings of Lee in his prewar blue Army uniform could remain while the portrait of Lee the secessionist and enslaver came down.
    — Time, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Jains typically do not eat root vegetables because harvesting them destroys the whole plant and harms life-forms around it.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026
  • How IonQ cracked error correction Since making measurements of a qubit destroys its quantum state, researchers can only gather information about their syndromes to know if the qubit has accumulated an error or not.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The incident is the latest in a handful of rare but sometimes deadly accidents involving passengers being dragged by subway trains.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Deadly boat accidents are common in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where rivers and lakes are a major means of transport for its more than 100 million people.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Instead, excess testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes the hair follicles to become smaller and then the hair strands to become thinner.
    — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026
  • When a storm strands the family with no wi-fi and no way home, everything changes.
    — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wrecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrecks. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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