wrack

as in to ruin
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

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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 wrack Orsolya is apparently wracked with feelings of complicity, though the film, which is made up mainly of extended shots of her conversations with other people, questions the sincerity of her self-reproach against a backdrop of ethnic tension and neoliberal sprawl in Romania. Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025 As sub-freezing temps wrack the concrete jungle, some of the hottest looks seen at the Paris and Milan shows are expected to re-emerge for the city's first major fashion event of 2025. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2025 Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is wracking up lawsuits, and the latest is from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 12 Feb. 2025 In the 19th century, back-to-back-to-back cholera pandemics wracked the globe. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 30 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrack
Verb
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Curtis left her job as a deputy in August 2023 and sued the county soon after, claiming in court documents that Anderson’s harassment ruined her reputation and career with the county.
    Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Many of the early hires were believed to be young tech engineers with little to no government experience, prompting criticism from Democrats and unions that critical government services and systems would be cut or destroyed.
    Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The Palisades and Eaton fires burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed at least 12,000 buildings.
    Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Part of the franchise’s challenge is to incorporate Leonard without wrecking team chemistry.
    Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Back in the fortress, the Man of Steel scolds Krypto for wrecking the joint while he was gone.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • This decision devastated Ajax, whose honor and ego were deeply wounded.
    Antonis Kocheilas, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • When Hurricane Milton ripped through Tampa Bay on October 9, less than two weeks had passed since Hurricane Helene struck the same area, and the region was devastated.
    Chad Jennings, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Over the past year, women’s sports have shattered viewership records.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Come October, the sound of a puck skimming across ice and players crashing into the boards surrounding a hockey rink may shatter the 2 1/2-year silence.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The station shares a name with Spurs’ former home, which overlapped this site and was demolished as the modern structure, which opened in April 2019, was built.
    Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Though the interior of the building was demolished, the Art Deco facade was and is still considered a historical landmark and remains intact.
    Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Kamikaze sank their first ship on Oct. 25, 1944, when a navy Zero pilot smashed into the USS St. Lo in the Philippine Sea while carrying a pair of 550-pound bombs.
    CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Carlson was wearing a helmet and smashing the windows of the apartment, and going in and out of the house to get gas cans from his truck, the document said.
    Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrack. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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