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
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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
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Recent Examples of wrecks
Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
Several wrecks and relics have been found in the region in recent years.
—CBS News, 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
Tyler Reddick executed several last-lap passes amid a pair of wrecks and raced off with the win in the Daytona 500 on Sunday.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026
But its reputation within GOP circles has taken a hit in recent years, driven in part by wealthy trial attorneys (yes, like the ones on billboards promising huge payouts after car wrecks) who are on the other side of those consumer lawsuits TLR has fought so hard to block.
—Bayliss Wagner, Houston Chronicle, 12 Feb. 2026
Confusing the pedals has been a recurring issue in wrecks.
—Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 8 Feb. 2026
No deaths were reported in the wrecks, but six deaths inside the five boroughs were blamed on the ice-cold weather that arrived shortly before the snow.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Highway motorcycle wrecks flow into a federal database, but deaths on off-road dirt bikes don’t.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
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
Details about Tesla’s wrecks are slim.
—Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
Several wrecks and relics have been found in the region in recent years.
—CBS News, 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
Tyler Reddick executed several last-lap passes amid a pair of wrecks and raced off with the win in the Daytona 500 on Sunday.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026
But its reputation within GOP circles has taken a hit in recent years, driven in part by wealthy trial attorneys (yes, like the ones on billboards promising huge payouts after car wrecks) who are on the other side of those consumer lawsuits TLR has fought so hard to block.
—Bayliss Wagner, Houston Chronicle, 12 Feb. 2026
Confusing the pedals has been a recurring issue in wrecks.
—Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 8 Feb. 2026
No deaths were reported in the wrecks, but six deaths inside the five boroughs were blamed on the ice-cold weather that arrived shortly before the snow.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Highway motorcycle wrecks flow into a federal database, but deaths on off-road dirt bikes don’t.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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
-
Vehicle collisions on the road are a top cause of bear mortality.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The impact scattered debris across the freeway’s northbound lanes and triggered several collisions on both sides of Highway 99 as motorists tried to avoid the wreckage.—
Darrell Smith
Updated February 20,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Two married sea-explorers are stranded, Gilligan-style, after a storm shipwrecks their craft.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
There’s, in fact, a lot of narrative chaos in the movie’s last third, from a pyramid scheme that ruins Junyang’s professional ego to the fact that Lydia, once she’s given birth, is basically cut out of the picture.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Feb. 2026
-
When fans see an exciting big hit, thinking about how the players might not know their own family members in 30 years ruins the fun.—
Eleanor M. Perfetto,
STAT,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After the 2014 wreck that killed Philip Lutzenkirchen, his family founded the Lutzie 43 Foundation to reduce the number of people killed in car crashes.—
Doug Turnbull for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
AJC.com,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Two pedestrians were killed in separate crashes in Long Beach late Wednesday night, police said.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
21 Feb. 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,
11 Oct. 2025
-
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
-
In 2024, a team identified the molecular mechanisms behind the microbe that destroys bananas.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
19 Feb. 2026
-
View gallery - 3 images Watch as a team of drones destroys their target in a demonstration of Fury.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade program ranks facilities based on both federal records and voluntary hospital survey data about medical errors, injuries, accidents and onsite infection rates.—
Amber Gaudet
Updated February 20,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Homer Township Supervisor Sue Steilen said there have been numerous accidents, including fatalities, and said a traffic study should be completed before any business plan is approved.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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Focusing strictly on survival, the History series strands 10 individuals by themselves in the wilderness, testing their primal instincts and adaptability.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrecks. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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