shipwreck
1 of 2noun
ship·wreck ˈship-ˌrek 
1
: a wrecked ship or its parts
2
: the destruction or loss of a ship
3
: an irretrievable loss or failure
shipwreck
2 of 2verb
shipwrecked; shipwrecking; shipwrecks
transitive verb
1
a
: to cause to experience shipwreck
b
: ruin
2
: to destroy (a ship) by grounding or foundering
Synonyms
Noun
- shipwrecking
- wreck
- wreckage
- wrecking
Verb
- strand
- wreck
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun Only a few sailors survived the shipwreck. The crew narrowly avoided shipwreck. Divers searched the sunken shipwreck. Verb the yachtsman fell asleep at the wheel and shipwrecked his ketch on the rocks
Recent Examples on the Web
Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 2 Aug. 2022 Treasures recovered from a shipwreck that's been at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean since 1857 are now on tour before going up for auction in the fall. Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 29 July 2022 There is a small chance the timbers might be from a different shipwreck. New York Times, 12 July 2022 Local legend has it that the horses descended from survivors of a Spanish shipwreck 500 years ago, though that has never been proven. Dave Kindy, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Aug. 2022 The Columbus Exploration group found the shipwreck in 1988 and brought up some of the gold from 1988 to 1991. CBS News, 1 Aug. 2022 The recovered porcelain, in particular, has helped archaeologists date the shipwreck to between 1680 and 1700. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 11 July 2022 That shipwreck happened in 1717, outside of Wellfleet. Lea Lane, Forbes, 6 July 2022 In the decades following the shipwreck, objects from the vessel washed ashore, fueling rumors of the enigmatic wreck’s existence. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2022 Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press, 11 May 2022 Sirens, as King reminds us, symbolized what earlier times regarded as the destructive sexuality of women: These enticing sweet singers lured the unwary to shipwreck, then clawed their bodies to pieces. Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2021 For sandy beaches and legendary surf conditions, to historic lighthouses, shipwreck diving sites, and wild horses, the Outer Banks is a unique East Coast beach vacation. Hannah Lee Leidy, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 May 2021 After a storm shipwrecked them, they were miraculously saved by a boat heading to the Bahamas — exactly the place where Sarah’s super evil dad Ward (Charles Esten) sent John B.’s gold. Kaitlin Reilly, refinery29.com, 8 May 2020 The valley—after the water returns to the steep-sided channel—is hard to cross, all sucking mud and shipwrecked trees in a prairie that is accustomed to being dry and treeless. Andrew Mckean, Outdoor Life, 16 Apr. 2020 The gorgeous 2018 card game Shipwreck Arcana is a great example of a cooperative survival game: To win, at least one person must survive being shipwrecked. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Nov. 2019 Eliason and Smith have been part of a number of Lake Superior shipwreck discoveries in recent years, including the 2013 find of the freighter Henry B. Smith that had vanished with all hands a century before. Andrew Krueger, chicagotribune.com, 26 Sep. 2019 The title refers to Prospero’s ability to control the climate, causing the storm that shipwrecks his enemies on the island and allows him to turn the tables on them. Terry Byrne, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Aug. 2019 See More
Noun
Experts figured there wasn’t much left to find from the shipwreck, but Allen Exploration believed the stern castle had broken off and drifted away, opening a new area of exploration in an area 7.5 miles by 5 miles. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 2 Aug. 2022 Treasures recovered from a shipwreck that's been at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean since 1857 are now on tour before going up for auction in the fall. Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 29 July 2022 There is a small chance the timbers might be from a different shipwreck. New York Times, 12 July 2022 Local legend has it that the horses descended from survivors of a Spanish shipwreck 500 years ago, though that has never been proven. Dave Kindy, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Aug. 2022 The Columbus Exploration group found the shipwreck in 1988 and brought up some of the gold from 1988 to 1991. CBS News, 1 Aug. 2022 The recovered porcelain, in particular, has helped archaeologists date the shipwreck to between 1680 and 1700. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 11 July 2022 That shipwreck happened in 1717, outside of Wellfleet. Lea Lane, Forbes, 6 July 2022 In the decades following the shipwreck, objects from the vessel washed ashore, fueling rumors of the enigmatic wreck’s existence. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2022 Verb
Prominent historians and shipwreck experts in Michigan doubt the Liberts' claim. Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press, 11 May 2022 Sirens, as King reminds us, symbolized what earlier times regarded as the destructive sexuality of women: These enticing sweet singers lured the unwary to shipwreck, then clawed their bodies to pieces. Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2021 For sandy beaches and legendary surf conditions, to historic lighthouses, shipwreck diving sites, and wild horses, the Outer Banks is a unique East Coast beach vacation. Hannah Lee Leidy, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 May 2021 After a storm shipwrecked them, they were miraculously saved by a boat heading to the Bahamas — exactly the place where Sarah’s super evil dad Ward (Charles Esten) sent John B.’s gold. Kaitlin Reilly, refinery29.com, 8 May 2020 The valley—after the water returns to the steep-sided channel—is hard to cross, all sucking mud and shipwrecked trees in a prairie that is accustomed to being dry and treeless. Andrew Mckean, Outdoor Life, 16 Apr. 2020 The gorgeous 2018 card game Shipwreck Arcana is a great example of a cooperative survival game: To win, at least one person must survive being shipwrecked. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Nov. 2019 Eliason and Smith have been part of a number of Lake Superior shipwreck discoveries in recent years, including the 2013 find of the freighter Henry B. Smith that had vanished with all hands a century before. Andrew Krueger, chicagotribune.com, 26 Sep. 2019 The title refers to Prospero’s ability to control the climate, causing the storm that shipwrecks his enemies on the island and allows him to turn the tables on them. Terry Byrne, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Aug. 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
alteration of earlier shipwrack, from Middle English schipwrak, from Old English scipwræc, from scip ship + wræc something driven by the sea — more at wrack
First Known Use
Noun
12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
shipwreck 1 of 2
noun
ship·wreck ˈship-ˌrek
1
: a ruined or destroyed ship
Divers explored the shipwreck.
2
: the loss or destruction of a ship
Only a few sailors survived the shipwreck.
shipwreck
2 of 2verb
shipwrecked; shipwrecking
1
: to cause to experience destruction of a ship and usually be left stranded
The crew was shipwrecked.
2
: to ruin or destroy (a ship) by crashing ashore or sinking
shipwrecks 1 of 2
noun
as in disasters
something that has failed finally admitted that their marriage was a shipwreck and that the time had come to bail out Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- disasters
- catastrophes
- failures
- disappointments
- bombs
- busts
- washouts
- losers
- fiascoes
- lemons
- debacles
- flops
- frosts
- duds
- misses
- clinkers
- débâcles
- messes
- turkeys
- clunkers
- dogs
- bummers
- fizzles
- near misses
- hashes
- shambles
- nonevents
- has-beens
- botches
- muddles
- also-rans
- nonstarters
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- successes
- hits
- phenomena
- blockbusters
- winners
- phenomenons
- smashes
- corkers
- dandies
- crackajacks
- crackerjacks
- jim-dandies
shipwrecks
2 of 2verb
as in wrecks
to cause irreparable damage to (a ship) by running aground or sinking the yachtsman fell asleep at the wheel and shipwrecked his ketch on the rocks Synonyms & Similar Words
- wrecks
- strands
- scuttles
- beaches
- founders
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- recovers
- salvages