as in to inflict
to cause to suffer punishment or vengeance for
wreaked their vengeance on those they considered enemies
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Recent Examples of wreak
The 1935 storm wreaked massive devastation and wiped out the Florida Keys.
—
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2025
On Wednesday the storm is forecast to cross the southeastern Bahamas, where dangerous storm surges can also wreak devastation.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
To better understand how these storms can wreak so much havoc, our research team created simulations to show how storms interact with Earth’s natural magnetic shield and trigger the dangerous geomagnetic activity that can shut down electric grids.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025
And maybe, at least a few of the animals knew the storm would wreak some devastation.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wreak
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2025
On Wednesday the storm is forecast to cross the southeastern Bahamas, where dangerous storm surges can also wreak devastation.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
To better understand how these storms can wreak so much havoc, our research team created simulations to show how storms interact with Earth’s natural magnetic shield and trigger the dangerous geomagnetic activity that can shut down electric grids.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025
And maybe, at least a few of the animals knew the storm would wreak some devastation.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreak
Verb
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Most of the victims had execution-style wounds, some of which were inflicted with two quick shots at very close range, leaving traces of gunpowder on the bodies.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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Yet a return to war by the Israeli military would extend the unimaginable suffering inflicted on the people of Gaza, and the condemnation of the international community.—
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The rub is that mandatory gratuities, the 15% to 20% that restaurants often impose on parties of six people or more, aren’t eligible for the deduction, a disappointment to the restaurant and foodservice industry, which held out hope for a different outcome.—
Cheryl Winokur Munk,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
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Scenes start, jarringly, without introduction or fanfare, as though we’ve been vaulted into the action; the plot resists all attempts by the viewer to impose any kind of order.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreak. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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