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
Wild extremes of temperature, a heat dome, a potent bomb cyclone blizzard, epic rainfalls and violent tornadoes have wreaked weather havoc across the nation.
—
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
For a creature that’s only the girth of a fingernail, the damage that quagga mussels wreak is outsize.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
This time, though, there's only one enemy to deal with – but by Cybertron, this murder machine wreaks bloody havoc on Alan Ritchson's 81 (he's only known by this callsign in the movie) and his team of Army Rangers in training!
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Such a move underlines Iran’s reliance on asymmetric warfare and the havoc these tactics could wreak even as the country is battered by US-Israeli airstrikes.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wreak
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
For a creature that’s only the girth of a fingernail, the damage that quagga mussels wreak is outsize.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
This time, though, there's only one enemy to deal with – but by Cybertron, this murder machine wreaks bloody havoc on Alan Ritchson's 81 (he's only known by this callsign in the movie) and his team of Army Rangers in training!
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Such a move underlines Iran’s reliance on asymmetric warfare and the havoc these tactics could wreak even as the country is battered by US-Israeli airstrikes.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreak
Verb
-
Kyiv said nearly all Russian casualties in March were inflicted by drones.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Ashley Nicole Taris, 24, a former KinderCare employee, is charged with felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury, according to a warrant reviewed by PEOPLE.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Armed groups impose rules, enforce discipline and punish violations with violence.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The growing apathy toward big-screen entertainment was also owed to the patina of all-American wholesomeness that studios imposed on their stables of stars, and the nothing-to-see-here style of movie journalism was wearing thin.—
Joshua John Miller,
Vanity Fair,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreak. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
