1
as in twist
a forceful rotating or pulling motion for the purpose of dislodging something
with a sharp wrench of the hammer I pulled the nail from the board
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in tug
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
with one final hard wrench I was able to pull the cork from the bottle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to pull
to move by or as if by a forceful rotation
with one last sharp yank, he wrenched the lid off the bottle of ketchup
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
as in to yank
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
wrenched the post out of the ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wrench
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
Yeah, that’s the one thing that really throws a wrench into the Guest 2 theory.
—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2026
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Savannah stepped back from her role on Today at the time, sharing a number of gut-wrenching pleas to the public with the hope of finding her mother.
—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrench
Noun
Public opposition has thrown a wrench into the AI industry’s sweeping data center construction plans.
—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
Yeah, that’s the one thing that really throws a wrench into the Guest 2 theory.
—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2026
Verb
And this wrenching essay from visual artist and poet Kennedy Amenya Gisege considers the unique spiritual toll that incarcerated parents face.
—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Savannah stepped back from her role on Today at the time, sharing a number of gut-wrenching pleas to the public with the hope of finding her mother.
—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrench
Noun
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In a strange twist, the potential buyer reportedly smelled a rat and reached out to someone with the company, to make sure the machinery hadn’t been stolen.
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Then again, and again, stopping each time to adjust for a beat, a movement, the flow of actors in the room, a twist of a hand, an arm thrown that way, not this way.
Noun
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Libra September 23 – October 22 Ambitions rise while playful urges tug back.
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Those vessels are smaller commercial ships, including five smaller oil tankers, coastal ships and tugs, according to analysis of the vessels waiting.
Verb
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But Roberts finds moments to pull players aside for one-on-one conversations.
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Rescuers have fanned out across La Guaira, where the worst destruction occurred, and parts of Caracas, where families and volunteers have spent days pulling survivors and victims from the rubble.
Verb
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For the past couple of years, volunteers have cut grass, trimmed and yanked out invasive vines.
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Roberts quickly gave up a run-scoring single to Christian Yelich and was yanked with the bases loaded and no outs.
Noun
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Iyer called the case heart-wrenching.
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This can feel challenging and heart-wrenching.
Noun
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This Jamaican restaurant, located just off Main Street, brings Caribbean flavors to Mackinac Island’s solid rotation of restaurants, with planked whitefish and jerk chicken sandwiches.
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After Game 4, jerks were throwing things at Victor Wembanyama.
Verb
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As the aircraft approached Atlantic City, a portion of one of the main rotor blades separated, the NTSB report showed, tearing the transmission and rotor apart and sending the helicopter crashing onto the Garden State Parkway.
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Mara will have to avoid OKC’s first-round curse, as each of the Thunder’s last two lottery picks have torn an ACL before their rookie seasons.
Verb
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Video of the incident showed the professor grabbing and twisting the arm of the pro-Palestinian student.
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As police tried to handcuff Sever, the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said Sever swung at troopers and forcefully grabbed at a trooper's duty weapon, which was secured in a holster.
Cite this Entry
“Wrench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrench. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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