wracked

past tense of wrack
as in destroyed
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of it's amazing how a raging sea can wrack a seemingly sturdy beachfront home

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 wracked His moves have led to hopes of eventual stability in a country that was wracked by civil war and the Islamic State insurgency that engulfed northeast and western Iraq for years. — Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 The right-hander joined an Astros rotation wracked by injuries in mid-April and proceeded to be the most reliable starter for a team going to the playoffs. — Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 27 Sep. 2026 Complicating efforts to contain the spread of the deadly virus is the fact that this part of the DRC has been wracked by violence for decades, leaving huge numbers of people displaced and struggling to feed their families. — Helen Branswell, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026 Members of Mastodon said they were wracked with grief when their cofounder and former guitarist was killed in a motorcycle crash last summer. — Asia Simone Burns, AJC.com, 10 Sep. 2026 The biggest American star in men’s tennis met the biggest star in the sport — a matchup wracked with tension that delivered through five sets — on a school night. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Still, even on video, Davis doesn’t appear wracked with guilt or anguish about the possibility of spending the rest of his life in the Nevada penitentiary system. — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026 And Alan Ruck is pitch perfect as Bueller’s best friend Cameron, a more typical Hughes character who’s wracked with anxiety and self-doubt, but still goes along for the ride. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026 Nick has to work late and misses part of his and Charlie’s anniversary picnic, and although he is wracked with guilt, Charlie isn’t upset. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wracked
Verb
  • Climate change was considered a factor in the December 2021 wildfire that destroyed Somauroo's home, after the county's suit was originally filed.
    — LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Climate change was considered a factor in the 2021 Marshall Fire that destroyed Somauroo’s home, after the county's suit was originally filed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • On Monday, workers hauled out a 200-pound piece of equipment that was ruined by the saltwater and sand carried in on the high tides.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The idea for her top was loosely based on an old vintage shirt that Satenstein accidentally threw into the dryer and ruined.
    — Irene Kim, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The police tear gas grenade shattered the 14-year-old’s jaw and many of his teeth.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Natasha Gregson Wagner was just 11 years old when an ordinary childhood sleepover turned into a moment that shattered her world.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Healthcare workers who’d turned up for the event described patients choosing between affording medication or food, or how they themselves had been financially devastated by a medical crisis.
    — Kate Wells, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Ji-hye’s punishment Ji-hye is devastated at the arrest of her son, and furiously tries to confess to the crime herself.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The Nantucket Current reported that the wreck is likely part of a 19th-century wooden ship that wrecked near Miacomet Beach in 1884.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The plant’s interior pot has drainage holes, hidden in the cachepot, so your plant won’t drown and your hardwoods won’t get wrecked.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The old airport must be demolished within 12 months under the development agreement with the City of Burbank.
    — Annita Katee, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Pulte’s application calls for the existing shopping center to be demolished, paving the way for construction of three six-story condominium buildings, two single-story commercial structures and a riverwalk.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Space debris is generated not only by kinetic space weapons but also when satellites collide and get smashed into countless fragments and smaller particles that travel at high velocity and are capable of destroying or damaging more spacecraft.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The thief reportedly smashed a window near the rear of the museum to gain entry.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The Sabres overcame a 3-2 deficit in a 4-3 home-opening win over Chicago on Saturday night.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The Broncos, meanwhile, overcame a Week 1 loss to remain competitive, but have fallen behind the Chiefs and Raiders in the AFC West.
    — Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wracked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wracked. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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