wreckage

noun

ˈre-kij How to pronounce wreckage (audio)
Definition of wreckagenext
1
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
2
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
3
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 The video on Iranian state television follows the length of a long underground chamber, lined on both sides by tables heaving with wreckage of American military drones. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026 Within minutes, Silverman and the ambulance arrived at a storage facility parking lot behind a large one-story commercial building to find LAPD officers grabbing fire extinguishers and dragging a man away from the burning wreckage. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026 There’s no major wreckage here, nor is comeuppance meted out to the wrongdoers. — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026 Over 15 hours, the civil defense workers and volunteers managed to pull 22 survivors from the wreckage, authorities say. — Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wreckage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreckage
  1. devastation
  2. rubble
  3. wrecking
  4. destruction
  5. debris
  6. wreck
  7. havoc
  8. ruins
Noun
  • By then, fire had ravaged the community; the report suggests that incident commanders were unaware of the devastation.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • How to Help Nepal’s Flood Victims Despite the devastation, there has been a beacon of hope.
    — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastation
Noun
  • Two women in Zaporizhzhia died when they were trapped beneath the rubble of their home, Zaporizhzhia’s regional military administration said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Rescue crews with a sniffer dog were searching the rubble for potentially missing people, the fire department said.
    — Lefteris Pitarakis, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of rubble
Noun
  • At least, there was a lot less wrecking.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.
    — The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Definition of wrecking
Noun
  • Sixty-five percent of Gazans agreed that armed resistance had failed to protect Palestinians and had instead brought destruction.
    — Michael Robbins, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Look past the 1951 setting, however, and the movie's anti-war message about humanity being on a crash course to destruction has never lost its poignancy.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle pledged another $8 million to continue clearing debris from south suburban areas affected by the August storms.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The seemingly never-ending saga in the 600 block of Martel Avenue, just south of Melrose Avenue, came to a head in April 2024, when city crews removed seven tons of trash and debris that attracted rodents and a host of insects.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of debris
Noun
  • Many of these wrecks have been undiscovered for decades, with commercial access only being granted recently.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • While Linton has not been diagnosed with an underlying seizure disorder, such as epilepsy, defense attorney Jovan Blacknell said Linton suffered intermittent seizures during her life, including at the time of the wreck.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of wreck
Noun
  • The storms have caused flooding, havoc and devastation in several parts of Chile.
    — Nayara Batschke, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • So where does this rank among the wackiest havoc ever wreaked by domes on innocent baseballs?
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • Archaeologists and historians tell their stories from the ambition and ingenuity that made them, to the conflict and catastrophe that transformed them into the ruins of today.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Gaza lies in ruins, with more than 74,000 Palestinians reported killed, yet many Israelis say the world overlooks their losses and rarely hear Palestinian voices.
    — Cara Anna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruins

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Cite this Entry

“Wreckage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreckage. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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