throw/hurl/toss a monkey wrench into

idiom

US, informal

: to damage or change (something) in a way that ruins it or prevents it from working properly

The storm threw a monkey wrench into their plans for a picnic.

Examples of throw/hurl/toss a monkey wrench into in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This does, of course, throw a monkey wrench into the possibility of sustaining a relationship. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024

Or look for a third party candidate and throw a monkey wrench into partisan politics. —George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2023

Way to throw a monkey wrench into spring break plans, Megabus. —Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2023

Construction crews in the Pacific Northwest know how to get the job done in any weather, but some seasonal surprises can throw a monkey wrench into the works. —oregonlive, 27 July 2022