wreak

verb

ˈrēk 

also

ˈrek 

wreaked; wreaking; wreaks

transitive verb

1

: bring about, cause

wreak havoc

2

a

: to cause the infliction of (vengeance or punishment)

b

archaic : avenge

3

: to give free play or course to (malevolent feeling)

Did you know?

In its early days, wreak was synonymous with avenge, a meaning exemplified when Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus proclaims "We will solicit heaven, and move the gods / To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs." This sense is now archaic, but the association hasn't been lost: although wreak is today most often paired with havoc, it is also still sometimes paired with vengeance. We humbly suggest you avoid wreaking either, no matter how badly you may crave your just deserts.

Examples of wreak in a Sentence

Gangs have been wreaking mayhem in the city.

Recent Examples on the Web

Two years later, a Chicago judge convicted Smollett on felony disorderly conduct and false police reports charges, and the court of public opinion wreaked additional havoc on his reputation. —Alyssa Davis, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025

Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee. —USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025

The series was triggered by a series of online images which motivated Krecké’s six year mission to research obsessively and merge digital sleuthing with emotional introspection to understand the personal and collective trauma behind the destruction wreaked through war. —Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Leaders in those countries remember the havoc wreaked by an incipient Islamic Republic that sought to shore up its revolutionary enterprise through acts of terror. —Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wreken "to drive out, avenge, vent, express (anger, etc.)," going back to Old English wrecan "to press forward, drive out, banish, avenge, punish," going back to Germanic *wrekan- "to drive out, pursue" (whence Old Saxon wrekan "to avenge," Old High German rehhan, Old Norse reka "to drive, thrust, take vengeance," Gothic wrikan "to persecute"), of uncertain origin

Note: Placed by some under Indo-European *u̯reg- "follow a track" (whence, allegedly, Sanskrit vrajant- "wandering," Latin urgēre "to press, weigh down"), though the semantic relations between compared forms are not close.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Phrases Containing wreak

• wreak havoc

Rhymes for wreak

• beak
• beek
• bleak
• cheek
• chic
• clique
• creak
• creek
• eke
• freak
• geek
• greek

Kids Definition

wreak

verb

ˈrēk 

: to bring down in or as if in punishment

wreak revenge on the enemy

the storm wreaked destruction