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
There are more than a few spanners in the works for the global car sector at the moment.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
However, there is a spanner in the works this time in the form of Ter Stegen and his X account.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 30 July 2025
She was supposed to move from New York to her Florida retirement home, but the homebuilder's bankruptcy has thrown a spanner in the works.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
Unfortunately, the girlband has thrown another spanner in the works with a Frankenstein’s mess of an entry.
—Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for spanner
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Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
However, there is a spanner in the works this time in the form of Ter Stegen and his X account.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 30 July 2025
She was supposed to move from New York to her Florida retirement home, but the homebuilder's bankruptcy has thrown a spanner in the works.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
Unfortunately, the girlband has thrown another spanner in the works with a Frankenstein’s mess of an entry.
—Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 13 May 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 25 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spanner
noun
span·ner
ˈspan-ər 
chiefly British
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