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
Recent Examples on the Web
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
So long as nothing throws a spanner in the works, looks like we’re all set for a happy holiday season.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2025
Things are going smoothly for Serbia thus far in qualifying, even if an early draw away to Albania has thrown a spanner in the works of sorts.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spanner
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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
So long as nothing throws a spanner in the works, looks like we’re all set for a happy holiday season.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2025
Things are going smoothly for Serbia thus far in qualifying, even if an early draw away to Albania has thrown a spanner in the works of sorts.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 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 6 Feb. 2026.
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spanner
noun
span·ner
ˈspan-ər 
chiefly British
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