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
Opponents of the strong-mayor system, though, worry that the wrong person in the mayor’s seat could wreak havoc on a city in a short amount of time.
—
Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Rolling later confessed to a triple homicide of a father, daughter and grandson in his hometown and shooting his father before wreaking havoc in Gainesville.
—Corin Cesaric, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
Although aphids have a reputation for being harmful, sap-sucking pests that wreak havoc on the garden, these insects aren't always a bad thing.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 31 May 2026
Traveling, no matter how luxurious your accommodations are, can wreak havoc on your skincare routine.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wreak
Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Rolling later confessed to a triple homicide of a father, daughter and grandson in his hometown and shooting his father before wreaking havoc in Gainesville.
—Corin Cesaric, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
Although aphids have a reputation for being harmful, sap-sucking pests that wreak havoc on the garden, these insects aren't always a bad thing.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 31 May 2026
Traveling, no matter how luxurious your accommodations are, can wreak havoc on your skincare routine.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreak
Verb
-
While most of those visitors are coming with good intentions, there’s always the possibility that bad actors will take advantage of the crowds and commotion to cause damage and inflict harm.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
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Alabama's relatively new nitrogen gas execution method could inflict a cruel amount of pain and suffering on a death row inmate who says that he'd rather be killed by a firing squad, a federal appeals court has ruled.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The design was simple yet imposing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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The proposal would require extensive recordkeeping and impose steep fines on repair shops, recyclers, pawn shops and secondhand dealers that traffic in undocumented airbags.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreak. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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