wrench 1 of 2

noun

Definition of wrenchnext
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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wrench

2 of 2

verb

ˈrench How to pronounce wrench (audio)
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

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2
as in to damage
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure wrenched her shoulder by all of that heavy lifting

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3
as in to yank
to separate or remove by forceful pulling wrenched the post out of the ground

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wrench
Noun
If Aaron Donald unretires and rejoins the Los Angeles Rams, that could throw a wrench into John Harbaugh’s plans to get the Giants off to a fast start. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026 And just last week, Apple threw a potential wrench into OpenAI’s hardware plans with a lawsuit alleging the theft by an ex-Apple employee of trade secrets related to hardware manufacturing. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026
Verb
News of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s death ricocheted across the city, galvanizing protesters and triggering a gut-wrenching sense of deja vu for activists across the country. — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 11 July 2026 That ensemble, and those ekeing out hope, includes Angela McBride (Suzette Llewellyn), a mother of two who goes on a violent rampage of justice-seeking after a gut-wrenching loss. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wrench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrench
  1. twist
  2. tug
  3. pull
  4. yank
  5. wrenching
  6. jerk
  7. tear
  8. grab
Noun
  • By what strange twist of fate does a young man come to develop a passion for politics?
    — Olivier Bouchara, Vanity Fair, 24 July 2026
  • But in a new plot twist, the mathematicians showed how the four-strand braid complicates the relationship, but in the end, its matrices still remain faithful.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Definition of twist
Noun
  • Mental overstimulation is likely today as the Sagittarius moon plays tug of war with Mars.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 25 July 2026
  • Instead of grabbing a handful of vines and giving them a hard tug, work slowly and loosen the soil around the ivy first.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 24 July 2026
Definition of tug
Verb
  • But still, there were some observations to pull from Wednesday’s first training camp practice under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026
  • Zelenskyy specified in his post on X that the parents of the kids were killed as well in the same attack, but two more children were pulled alive from under the rubble.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of pull
Verb
  • In recent months, numerous automakers have yanked EVs from the market, delayed new arrivals, and canceled their plans to debut new EVs.
    — Tim Levin, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
  • Normally, a pitcher with that pitch count who had given up just one run and two hits would not get yanked so quickly, but the Angels clearly had seen red flags during the previous inning.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 22 July 2026
Definition of yank
Noun
  • Iyer called the case heart-wrenching.
    — Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 8 May 2026
  • This can feel challenging and heart-wrenching.
    — Cori Sears, The Spruce, 22 Jan. 2026
Definition of wrenching
Noun
  • Cayman’s restaurant culture is shaped by the more than 130 different nationalities found on the islands, from traditional jerk chicken joints to fine dining establishments.
    — Taylor McIntyre, Travel + Leisure, 28 July 2026
  • The desire to make fresh New York rap that isn’t indebted to drill, or chasing broader Gen-Z hip-hop trends such as jerk and rage rap, sometimes leads to experiments that don’t land anywhere.
    — Lei Takanashi, Pitchfork, 27 July 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Skubal was torn between his allegiance to his country and his commitment to his Tigers team.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Those arrested — many of them torn from their crying children — were detained in squalid conditions for days at a time on the 10th floor that Manhattan Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan earlier this year deemed inhumane.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
Definition of tear
Verb
  • Photos appear to show one such altercation, with a fan attempting to grab Preston from the sideline.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
  • And once the stars are out, the fire pits come to life, where kids of all ages can enjoy s’mores by grabbing a kit from the front desk.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
Definition of grab

Browse Nearby Words

wrecks
wrench
wrenched
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Cite this Entry

“Wrench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrench. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wrench

Nglish: Translation of wrench for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wrench

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