1
: something cast up on the land by the sea especially after a shipwreck
2
a
b
: the action of wrecking or fact or state of being wrecked : destruction
c
: a violent and destructive crash
was injured in a car wreck
3
a
: a hulk or the ruins of a wrecked ship
b
: the broken remains of something wrecked or otherwise ruined
c
: something disabled or in a state of ruin or dilapidation
the house was a wreck
also
: a person or animal of broken constitution, health, or spirits
he's a nervous wreck
wrecked; wrecking; wrecks
1
: to cast ashore
2
a
: to reduce to a ruinous state by or as if by violence
a country wrecked by war
ambition wrecked his marriage
b
c
: to ruin, damage, or imperil by a wreck
wrecked the car
3
: bring about, wreak
wreck havoc
Synonyms
Examples of wreck in a Sentence
Noun
This car has never been in a wreck.
The stress of her final exams made her a wreck.
Dad was a nervous wreck on the day I had my surgery.
Verb
I wrecked my mother's car.
Many houses were wrecked by the hurricane.
The affair wrecked his marriage.
Bad weather wrecked our vacation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Skye is a wreck from the moment of her fateful contact, and watching an unstable protagonist get bludgeoned by terror in a world where almost nothing seems real is less gripping than watching one who’s actively fighting for her survival.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2024
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
Ice Cube is checking himself so as not to wreck himself.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wreck 
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Noun
The shores of Europe were littered with wrecks from the First World War.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Skye is a wreck from the moment of her fateful contact, and watching an unstable protagonist get bludgeoned by terror in a world where almost nothing seems real is less gripping than watching one who’s actively fighting for her survival.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
Expectations were too high because of the staggered rollout of AI, along with China which wrecked everyone.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
Ice Cube is checking himself so as not to wreck himself.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wreck
Dictionary Entries Near wreck
Cite this Entry
“Wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wreck. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wreck
1 of 2 noun1
: goods cast upon the land by the sea after a shipwreck
3
: the action of wrecking
4
: a destructive crash
was injured in a car wreck
5
: the broken remains of something wrecked or ruined
6
: something in a state of ruin or decay
the old house was a wreck
7
: a person in poor health or spirits
wreck
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to reduce to a state of ruin by or as if by violence
a country wrecked by war
jealousy wrecked their friendship
2
: to damage or ruin by a wreck
wrecked the car
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