WRECKAGE Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

wreckage

noun

ˈre-kij

Definition of wreckage

as in devastation

the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless the wreckage of those ancient statues represents a great loss to the art world

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in rubble

the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed the wreckage of the cathedral was kept as a memorial and as a reminder of war's terrible cost

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in wrecking

the destruction or loss of a ship debris floated ashore for weeks after the wreckage

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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 wreckage Search teams later found fragmented wreckage from the twin-engine plane, also known as a Cessna Conquest. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 The lack of wreckage has hampered efforts to determine the cause of the sinking and where to focus search operations, authorities said. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 The wreckage of the Piper 30A was hoisted from the water on Sunday morning. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026 The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey held the wreckage from the towers and Oak Lawn wrote a proposal to use some of the beams, Clark said. — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wreckage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreckage

Noun

For France, long accustomed to wildfires along arid stretches of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the devastation in Le Porge has yielded rare consensus that its fire safety system is not up to fighting mega-fires brought on by climate change.

— Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Hunter said it’s been sad to see photos of the devastation wrought by the fire.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of devastation

Noun

This seven-year-old girl pulled from the rubble after rescue workers heard her cries.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Other than that, he’s never seemed confident that the future will turn out all right, although he’s kept on working out his worries onscreen, forever hunting for flakes of hope in the rubble.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of rubble

Noun

The deadly wall of water that descended from the mountains on the border between Nepal and Tibet caused destruction at least 62 miles downriver from the border in Nepal, an ABC News analysis of verified video and satellite images shows.

— Jon Haworth, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Trump has also promoted the destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities and navy, and the reduction in missile and drone capabilities, as measures of success.

— Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of destruction

Noun

Chinese surveillance footage from the Tibetan side of the border shows a huge wall of mud and debris crashing over buildings and engulfing roads as people desperately try to flee the torrent.

— Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
An ice and rock avalanche from a high-altitude glacier may have triggered the flooding, with a large volume of debris entering the Lende Khola tributary, researchers have said in a preliminary assessment.

— Josh Feldman, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of debris

Noun

The teens walked away from the wreck with few injuries and tried to run, but authorities apprehended them shortly afterward, officials said.

— Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
The first big wreck came when David Malukas went into the wall and Sting Ray Robb could do little to avoid crashing into him coming around a turn.

— CBS News, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of wreck

Noun

His worldview has brought nothing but havoc to Americans, whereas Parton provided a guidebook for a national redemption.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
After a stop in the NFL, former Mississippi tight end Dae’Quan Wright could be heading to LSU thanks to a court order that is creating havoc throughout college sports by allowing Wright and others an unexpected fifth year of eligibility.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of havoc

Noun

The mountains, castles, and ruins of Ashina enable a unique traversal system.

— Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
The tornado struck Pomas, a village of about 1,000 people, on Monday and rescue teams were continuing their search through ruins on Tuesday, though no people were immediately reported missing.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruins

Browse Nearby Words

wreck

wreckage

wreckages

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“Wreckage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreckage. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of wreckage

noun

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