Meaning & use
wreckage
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Meanings
noununcountable
The broken parts of something that has been badly damaged or destroyed, such as a vehicle, building, or ship.
Grammar: Uncountable: say 'the wreckage' or 'a piece of wreckage', not 'a wreckage' or 'wreckages'.
Patterns
- the wreckage of something
- wreckage from something
- clear the wreckage
- search the wreckage
Rescue workers searched the wreckage of the plane for survivors.
The wreckage from the storm was scattered across the road.
After the earthquake, the wreckage of the building blocked the street.
noununcountablefigurative
The remains or broken pieces of something that has failed or been ruined, especially a plan, career, or relationship.
Grammar: Uncountable; often used figuratively.
Patterns
- the wreckage of something
- pick through the wreckage
He tried to rebuild his life from the wreckage of his failed business.
The wreckage of their marriage was painful to witness.
She surveyed the wreckage of her plans after the funding was cut.
Common combinations
- clear the wreckage
- Crews worked all night to clear the wreckage from the highway.
- scattered wreckage
- Scattered wreckage lay across the field after the crash.
- the wreckage of a plane
- Investigators examined the wreckage of the plane.
- search through the wreckage
- They searched through the wreckage for personal belongings.
Synonyms and how they differ
- debris
- Debris is scattered pieces of waste or remains, often after destruction; wreckage specifically refers to the broken parts of something that was destroyed.
- ruins
- Ruins are the remaining parts of a destroyed building or city; wreckage is more often used for vehicles or movable objects.
- remains
- Remains are what is left after something has been destroyed or used; wreckage emphasizes the broken, chaotic state.
Word family
Commonly confused: wreckage or wreck?
wreckage vs wreck
A wreck is the destroyed object itself (e.g., a car wreck); wreckage is the broken pieces that remain.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Wreckage is uncountable, so it takes a singular verb and no article: 'The wreckage was scattered.' Options An and D use it as a countable noun, and B has a plural verb, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wreckage”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.