WRACKED Synonyms: 162 Similar and Opposite Words

wracked

verb

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

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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

Firefighters battling a blaze that destroyed six homes in south Orange County can expect a bit of reprieve Saturday afternoon as Santa Ana winds begin to die down.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Its owners, a family of three, left for a cruise before the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel destroyed their property.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroyed

Verb

Multiple temperature records have been shattered, and an intense marine heat wave has been churning since last December — making our typical high tides even higher — El Niño notwithstanding.

— Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Business damaged by gunfire A bullet shattered the window of Tikal Cocina Café during the shooting.

— Janay Reece, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of shattered

Verb

Decades of deforestation have devastated vast areas of orangutan habitat, pushing the animals into smaller pockets, increasing their vulnerability to poachers.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Going on two years after the wildfires that devastated Pacific Palisades and other Los Angeles-area neighborhoods, a popular moviehouse is ready for its closeup.

— Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of devastated

Verb

Researchers believe the ship may have been traveling from the Levantine coast, which runs from Turkey in the north to Egypt in the south, to Troy or Crete when it was wrecked.

— Jack Guy, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
The story centers on an influencer whose life is wrecked by an online pile-on.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrecked

Verb

Protesters have hurled rocks at police, burned government buildings, smashed shop windows and destroyed private property.

— Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Carl Court / Getty In cities across the country, demonstrators set fire to newsstands and smashed windows.

— Max Butterworth, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of smashed

Verb

The move comes after the Astros overcame a plethora of injuries to win the AL West with an 81-81 record and become the first team in Major League Baseball history to reach the postseason without a winning record.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
The Cardinals overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the Dodgers, 4-2, in the NLCS, while the Royals rallied from 2-0 down to defeat the Blue Jays, 4-3, in the ALCS.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcame

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“Wracked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wracked. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of wracked

verb

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