Master confusing words with ease
Rack vs. Wrack
Rack
/ræk/Examples:
The new policy really racked up the tension in the office.She racked her brains trying to solve the tricky puzzle.He used a rack to store all his bikes in the garage.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
This word has no antonymsWrack
Examples:
The storm left the beach strewn with wrack and debris.Her emotions were in a state of wrack after the argument.The company faced financial wrack due to the bad investment.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Wrack often relates to damage or destruction, like shipwrecks or ruin, while rack is more about structures or arrangements.
- Think of rack when you consider something organized or displayed, like a wine rack or clothes rack.
- Wrack carries a thematic weight associated with wreckage or ruin, often used in more metaphorical contexts.
- If you can substitute wreck in a sentence, its probably wrack. If it involves holding or displaying something, its usually rack.
- Both wrack and wreck start with w, which can help you remember that wrack is often about destruction.
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