Illustration of spanner
- spanner 2
1
chiefly British
: wrench
2
: a wrench that has a hole, projection, or hook at one or both ends of the head for engaging with a corresponding device on the object that is to be turned
Examples of spanner in a Sentence
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As a multi-phased review by UK regulators may have thrown their own spanner in Para-WBD works last week, there is some serious money on the table for Ellison and his Oracle founder father if the merger isn’t locked in by September 30.
—
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 15 June 2026
Palace assets were attracting attention ahead of their Double Gameweek 36, but manager Oliver Glasner has again thrown a sizeable spanner in the works.
—Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 4 May 2026
And then, in episode three, a Peter Claffey–size spanner is thrown in the works.
—Derek Lawrence, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2026
Rowan Atkinson plays a Ninth Doctor ready to hang up his TARDIS keys and marry his companion (Julia Sawalha), when the Master (a scenery-chewing Jonathan Pryce) and the Daleks throw a spanner in the works.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 13 Dec. 2025
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Dominic Patten, Deadline, 15 June 2026
Palace assets were attracting attention ahead of their Double Gameweek 36, but manager Oliver Glasner has again thrown a sizeable spanner in the works.
—Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 4 May 2026
And then, in episode three, a Peter Claffey–size spanner is thrown in the works.
—Derek Lawrence, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2026
Rowan Atkinson plays a Ninth Doctor ready to hang up his TARDIS keys and marry his companion (Julia Sawalha), when the Master (a scenery-chewing Jonathan Pryce) and the Daleks throw a spanner in the works.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spanner
Cite this Entry
“Spanner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spanner. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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spanner
noun
span·ner
ˈspan-ər 
chiefly British
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