wrecker

noun

wreck·​er ˈre-kər How to pronounce wrecker (audio)
1
a
: one that searches for or works on the wrecks of ships (as for rescue or for plunder)
b
2
: one that wrecks
especially : one whose work is the demolition of buildings

Examples of wrecker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 1831, Jacob Housman, a wrecker who salvaged cargo from shipwrecks, settled in Indian Key and established it as the first county seat for Dade County. Emma Janssen, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 Carter has the potential to be a game-plan wrecker inside, the sort of defensive tackle that opens up opportunities for pass rushers — like star linebacker Haason Reddick, who had 16 sacks last season — and can blow holes in the interior in the run game. Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023 Hodge retrieved items from the plane and helped members of the Wetumpka fire department load the plane onto a wrecker after it was pulled from the ditch. Mike Cason | McAson@al.com, al, 3 Aug. 2023 And most world leaders, and even many ordinary Americans, still hope that China will choose to be part of these solutions, not one of the wreckers of a new international system. Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2022 More than a decade after wreckers demolished Pennsylvania Station and historical preservation had become a gospel of city planners, Ms. Spatt led the landmarks commission through years of controversy, from 1974 to 1978 as chairwoman, then as a member until 1982. Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 17 July 2023 The 11-acre Indian Key houses the ruins of an early 19th-century community of wreckers, who would spot and rescue ships stranded on nearby reefs. Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2023 The tow truck, described as a roll-back wrecker, was parked in the left lane with its emergency lights activated, the accident report said. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 1 June 2023 The recovery operation required a wrecker as well as a crane truck parked with its stabilizers balanced by stacks of boards to lift the SUV like some dangling toy in a Matchbox set back onto the street to be taken away. Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 17 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wrecker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1693, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wrecker was in 1693

Dictionary Entries Near wrecker

Cite this Entry

“Wrecker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrecker. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wrecker

noun
wreck·​er ˈrek-ər How to pronounce wrecker (audio)
1
a
: one that searches for or works on the wrecks of ships
b
2
: one that wrecks

More from Merriam-Webster on wrecker

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