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Synonyms

wrecking

American  
[rek-ing] / ˈrɛk ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act, work, or business of a wrecker.

adjective

  1. employed or for use in wrecking.

    a wrecking crew.

Etymology

Origin of wrecking

First recorded in 1795–1805; wreck + -ing 1

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.

His most important task was to oversee the transformation of basketball’s best young prospect into an all-out wrecking ball.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Once upon a time in California, I went to the Orange County fairgrounds to watch Arnold Schwarzenegger give the signal for a wrecking ball to drop onto a vehicle.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

He took a roster of overlooked and undersized misfits and molded them into a wrecking machine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

The 35-year-old was a one-man wrecking ball against England at Perth Stadium, taking 7-58 to skittle them for 172.

From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025

When news spread that Carrie Nation had arrived in a community, saloon owners locked up their establishments until they were certain the one-woman wrecking ball had left town.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.