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
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
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
The driver was taken into custody and booked on a charge of felony vandalism due to the damage caused in the wreck, the outlet reported.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 6 May 2025
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
However, according to the World Bank, the economy was already the best before Trump’s economic policies wrecked it.
—Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wreck
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Noun
Located in shallow waters near Costa Rica’s Cahuita National Park, the wrecks were long thought to belong to pirate ships, according to local legend.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
The driver was taken into custody and booked on a charge of felony vandalism due to the damage caused in the wreck, the outlet reported.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 6 May 2025
Verb
That predecessor was wrecked May 9, 1980, when a freighter, lost in the vicious storm, broadsided the southbound span of the twin bridge and knocked down a 1,260-foot section of roadway.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
However, according to the World Bank, the economy was already the best before Trump’s economic policies wrecked it.
—Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wreck
Cite this Entry
“Wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wreck. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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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