WRECKS Synonyms: 176 Similar and Opposite Words

wrecks 1 of 2

noun

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

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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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

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 Historians estimate that as many as 1,000 ships sank during the Middle Passage, but fewer than 20 of these wrecks have been documented. — Amara Evering, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026 Back inside the courtroom, CBS New York reported that prosecutors alleged Bithorn had previously put her children in danger via her alleged alcoholism, including multiple car wrecks. — Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 30 June 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

Katz described the operation as a deliberate effort to manufacture collisions and submit fraudulent claims.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
The severe injuries were the kind doctors encounter in patients after high-speed collisions or other violent accidents that cause the brain to twist and slam inside one’s skull.

— Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of collisions

Verb

And that’s a bit of a problem, because nothing ruins the allure of the new and novel quite like ubiquity.

— Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026
Actual Roman ruins As for those interested in seeing legitimate sites, Arya recommends Verona for an amphitheater, or Aquileia, two and a half hours northeast on Veneto’s border with Friuli.

— Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruins

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

Definition of scuttles

Verb

T cells, a type of immune cell that detects and destroys infected or abnormal cells, normally perform this inspection.

— William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
The white dwarf emits radiation and produces a giant gas bubble—the lion’s face—that destroys dust in its path.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroys

Noun

The other is a powerful exposé on the safety breaches that have caused deadly crashes and accidents on Boeing airplanes.

— Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Nuclear power development stalled after high-profile accidents such as the 1979 Three Mile Island meltdown and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster fueled public fears of the technology.

— Roxy Ekberg, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of accidents

Verb

In the ’90s, a plane crash strands them in the Canadian wilderness.

— Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026
The formula also prioritizes the actual hair strands with rosemary and biotinoyl tripeptide-1, which both help to strengthen strands to reduce breakage over time.

— Essence Wiley, InStyle, 13 June 2026

Definition of strands

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wrecks

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

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Synonyms of wrecks

noun

verb

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