wracking

present participle of wrack
as in destroying
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

Relevance

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 wracking Over nerve-wracking cellphone calls, video chats and in-person conversations, the various players desperately try to figure out who fired and how, and some even question if there’s a missile at all. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025 This lack of training, the lack of confidence to ask the right questions and the unwillingness to see past a diagnosis, turned an already nerve-wracking situation into a horrifying ordeal for my family. Maura Sullivan, Boston Herald, 14 Oct. 2025 Reuters — American golfer Vince Whaley had a particularly nerve-wracking encounter with a big-toothed onlooker at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday, as he was forced to play a shot under the watchful gaze of a lurking alligator. Reuters, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025 Proposing marriage is one of the most-exciting and nerve-wracking times for a couple, for both the proposer and their intended. Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025 After that harrowing hike up the boulder field, the nerve-wracking exposure of our search site has pushed even this steadfast high-drive purebred over threshold. Ted Katauskas, Outside, 23 Sep. 2025 With Lionsgate‘s nerve-wracking new horror movie, the multi-faceted actress is now on her second Stephen King adaptation — opening in theaters September 12. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025 Here, tackling a masterpiece felt like a more complex, more nerve-wracking experience. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025 Air conditioning was probably a good idea for the three contestants who were formally dressed and answered nerve-wracking pageant questions. Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wracking
Verb
  • Continue reading … HISTORY HYPOCRITES – Hawley turns tables on reporter when asked if White House renovation is destroying history.
    , FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Saving Denji’s life, Pochita and the young man make a deal to fuse, imbuing him with the ability to turn parts of his body into Devil-destroying chainsaws.
    Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Chiefs have seen some of league’s premier running backs — such as Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs — and have met each challenge, preventing those elite players from ruining the defensive game plan.
    Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Clark reiterated his belief that the Dodgers are not ruining baseball.
    Evan Drellich, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement The past few years have seen record-shattering global sea surface temperatures, which helps strengthen storms.
    Simmone Shah, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Viewers are dropped into the aftermath of an unnamed personal conflict and must work out over the course of the runtime the stakes of the situation, a highwire act handled deftly by the actors whose tender performances provide the emotional impact of the film’s shattering final sequence.
    Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That changed after Inter’s devastating 5–0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final — the worst defeat in the competition’s history.
    Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Sol Price had relinquished his official leadership role, and Robert’s fifteen-year-old son had recently died of cancer, devastating the family.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That history came to an end after wrecking crews tore down the wing’s two stories of offices and reception rooms last week.
    Darlene Superville, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
  • The big money takeover is wrecking college sports.
    , FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • On Monday, The Washington Post reported that his construction crews have begun demolishing the facade of the White House’s East Wing to build a ballroom.
    Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The White House is requiring at least some of the construction workers tasked with demolishing the East Wing to sign non-disclosure agreements barring them from discussing their work, according to a White House official and sources familiar with the project.
    Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • While some were able to escape by smashing windows and jumping out of the vehicle, which was carrying 44 passengers, others were fatally burned, the officer said.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Once the Germans invaded their Soviet ally on June 22, 1941, smashing one division after another, the Soviets had to fight for their survival, and all thought of nuclear research was abandoned.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Penix and London, along with Bijan Robinson, have been heavily involved in Atlanta's offense this season, so regardless of who the opponent is missing, overcoming the loss of your starting quarterback and leading pass catcher will be a tough task.
    Cameron Belcher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
  • But there's also a lot of stories of people overcoming a lot of obstacles, and that's synonymous with what Kayla has done.
    Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wracking. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on wracking

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!