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train wreck

American

[trein-rek] / ˈtrɛɪnˌrɛk /

Or trainwreck

noun

an accident in which a train or trains are severely damaged.
Slang. a person who has experienced a personal failure, disaster, etc.
Slang. a disastrous situation, occurrence, or process.

His football career has been a train wreck.

train wreck British

noun

an incident in which a train is severely damaged
informal something or someone that has suffered ruin or calamity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of train wreck

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Off the coast of Vancouver Island, in the Cascadia region, scientists have now seen that "train wreck" unfolding.

From Science Daily • Oct. 25, 2025

Above all, we experience a pervasive miasma of helplessness as we are forced to watch this intolerable train wreck.

From Salon • Sep. 20, 2025

Trump also posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday: "I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely 'off the rails,' essentially becoming a train wreck over the past five weeks."

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2025

Later, Brandon Nimmo reached base on a train wreck of a defensive play by the Dodgers, allowing the Mets to score and take a 5-4 lead.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2025

Once they heard a helicopter flying in the direction of the train wreck.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023