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
The lumber used to build the castle was essentially driftwood from steamboat wrecks that floated down the river and into Gray's hands. John Lauritsen, CBS News, 28 May 2026 Rewind through the best moments of 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race at as Denny Hamlin cashes in with the win after several early wrecks. Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 19 May 2026 McNeal’s unit handles patients who are coming out of surgery or have trauma from car wrecks or falls. Laura Berrios, AJC.com, 7 May 2026 Tesla is recalling over 218,000 vehicles because when drivers reverse, the rearview camera image may lag, potentially causing wrecks and injuries, according to a notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Saleen Martin, USA Today, 6 May 2026 Look, these wrecks are a dime-a-dozen at places like Talladega and Daytona. Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026 The researchers did not have archaeological documentation of most of the wrecks before the project. Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026 Winkler had studied thousands of wrecks. Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 Classes offered include fight choreography, martial arts, parkour, acrobatics, high falls, wrecks, wirework, rigging workshops, weapons and acting classes. Matias Ocner, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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 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
  • Concurrently, internal particle collisions try to force the plasma back into a balanced temperature state.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 6 June 2026
  • Similar projects in states including Utah and Washington have significantly reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions and encouraged biodiversity.
    Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 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
  • Deep dives into childhood trauma sort of ruins it for everyone.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
  • Ancient Roman ruins sit alongside medieval churches and buildings rebuilt during the Yugoslavian era after a majority of the city’s buildings were destroyed when bombed by the Allies during World War II.
    Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • Many are now discovering in their late 60s and early 70s that the script did not account for a 90‑plus lifespan or for the cumulative effects of wage stagnation, market crashes, and runaway medical costs.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 June 2026
  • Kimi Antonelli won a dramatic Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, extending his championship lead to a commanding 66 points after a race twice interrupted by crashes and a red flag.
    Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 7 June 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
  • Young people must understand clearly that violence destroys not only victims, but entire families and communities.
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
  • But Bogan told the outlet those assurances fall short if construction bulldozes the critical turtle habitat, compromises the manmade earthen dam that holds the springs' pond, or destroys the mesquite thicket downstream where turtles shelter in winter.
    Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • The industry has been well aware of the risks of the types of chemical accidents that can lead to a thermal runaway reaction, posing the risk of an explosion.
    Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2026
  • Some of the most influential American innovations began as side projects, accidents, or niche engineering solutions before quietly changing how people communicate, travel, work, eat, and survive.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • The aftermath of one of Otto’s decisions gives Beever as Léna some rich material to work through, but strands Machado-Graner to an extent, including in a short subplot that feels like it was plucked from an entirely different screenplay.
    Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
  • Whale biologists generally hold that a whale that repeatedly strands itself usually has severe underlying health issues; even towing it back out to deeper waters may not keep it from starving or drowning.
    Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wrecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrecks. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

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