Synonyms of wrenching

wrenching 1 of 3

adjective

as in agonizing

intensely or unbearably painful

forced to make the emotionally wrenching decision to place her mother in a nursing home

Synonyms & Similar Words

• agonizing
• torturous
• excruciating
• torturing
• intense
• harrowing
• raging
• violent
• racking
• tormenting
• biting
• extreme
• acute
• fierce
• exquisite
• tearing
• stabbing
• penetrating
• piercing
• vehement
• stinging
• sharp
• shooting
• cutting
• tingling
• smarting

wrenching

2 of 3

noun

as in twisting

a forceful rotating or pulling motion for the purpose of dislodging something

after a lot of wrenching and tugging, the plumber managed to pull the stubborn pipe free

Synonyms & Similar Words

• twisting
• tug
• twist
• wrench
• wringing
• wresting
• pull
• yank
• extraction
• displacement
• dislocation
• draft
• draw

wrenching

3 of 3

verb

present participle of wrench

1

as in pulling

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

• pulling
• tugging
• yanking
• twisting
• wringing
• jerking
• plucking
• removing
• prying
• wresting
• extracting
• lugging
• dredging (up)
• dislocating
• tweaking
• drawing
• shifting
• disturbing
• levering
• displacing
• transposing
• jimmying
• transferring
• budging

2

as in damaging

to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure

wrenched her shoulder by all of that heavy lifting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pulling
• damaging
• straining
• bruising
• hurting
• stretching
• racking
• weakening
• taxing
• tearing
• battering
• impairing
• wounding
• crippling
• fraying
• harming
• mangling
• mutilating
• laming

3

as in tearing

to separate or remove by forceful pulling

wrenched the post out of the ground

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tearing
• yanking
• ripping
• grabbing
• pulling
• snatching
• wresting
• prying
• extracting
• cutting (off)
• seizing
• snapping (up)
• severing
• forcing
• uprooting
• amputating
• jerking
• lopping (off)
• nipping
• nabbing
• dissevering
• rooting (out)
• prizing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reattaching