as in to inflict
to cause to suffer punishment or vengeance for
wreaked their vengeance on those they considered enemies
Related Words
Relevance
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 wreak
The series was triggered by a series of online images which motivated Krecké’s six year mission to research obsessively and merge digital sleuthing with emotional introspection to understand the personal and collective trauma behind the destruction wreaked through war.
—
Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Leaders in those countries remember the havoc wreaked by an incipient Islamic Republic that sought to shore up its revolutionary enterprise through acts of terror.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2025
Environmentalists have long warned of the damage wreaked by the fast-fashion sector’s wasteful trend of mass producing low-cost clothes that are quickly thrown away.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2025
Instead, Greene has God—or rather, Sarah’s relationship with God—wreak great suffering upon her psyche.
—Terry Nguyen
july 23, Literary Hub, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for wreak
Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Leaders in those countries remember the havoc wreaked by an incipient Islamic Republic that sought to shore up its revolutionary enterprise through acts of terror.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2025
Environmentalists have long warned of the damage wreaked by the fast-fashion sector’s wasteful trend of mass producing low-cost clothes that are quickly thrown away.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2025
Instead, Greene has God—or rather, Sarah’s relationship with God—wreak great suffering upon her psyche.
—Terry Nguyen
july 23, Literary Hub, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for wreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreak
Verb
-
Very few believe Russia was attempting to inflict serious damage, something that would almost certainly trigger a strong military response from NATO.—
Patrick Reevell,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Their shared belief in the importance of cinema breaks through the screen, contagiously inflicting those watching, striking a hopeful tone to cherish and admire that also prevents the film from appearing earnest and naive.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Cities would also generally be prevented from imposing height and density limits based on how close a development is near a transit stop.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
In fact, there’s already a battle in Los Angeles over the $30 wage for workers at hotels and other hospitality businesses imposed by the city council.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreak. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share