as in inflicted
to cause to suffer punishment or vengeance for
wreaked their vengeance on those they considered enemies
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Recent Examples of wreaked
As the complaining businesses are no doubt wringing their hands over the setback, shoppers are also bemoaning the havoc that tariffs have wreaked on their pocketbooks as the final week of holiday shopping ramps up.
—
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 Dec. 2025
Most of the book is a provocative and fast-paced chronicle of the damage that liberalism has supposedly wreaked on countries’ economic, social, political, and psychological foundations.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
In 2024, the world breached that boundary and, as predicted by science, recorded unprecedented weather extremes across the planet that wreaked deadly and expensive havoc on human infrastructure, agriculture and ways of life.
—Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 1 Dec. 2025
History is littered with examples of the havoc wreaked by politicians’ will to power.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
The 1935 storm wreaked massive devastation and wiped out the Florida Keys.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2025
Once during tax time to prepare for open-toe season, and again when fall begins to recover from the damage open-toe season has wreaked — so this weekend would be a perfect time!
—Lauren Silbert, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Two years later, a Chicago judge convicted Smollett on felony disorderly conduct and false police reports charges, and the court of public opinion wreaked additional havoc on his reputation.
—Alyssa Davis, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
—USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 Dec. 2025
Most of the book is a provocative and fast-paced chronicle of the damage that liberalism has supposedly wreaked on countries’ economic, social, political, and psychological foundations.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
In 2024, the world breached that boundary and, as predicted by science, recorded unprecedented weather extremes across the planet that wreaked deadly and expensive havoc on human infrastructure, agriculture and ways of life.
—Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 1 Dec. 2025
History is littered with examples of the havoc wreaked by politicians’ will to power.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
The 1935 storm wreaked massive devastation and wiped out the Florida Keys.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2025
Once during tax time to prepare for open-toe season, and again when fall begins to recover from the damage open-toe season has wreaked — so this weekend would be a perfect time!
—Lauren Silbert, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Two years later, a Chicago judge convicted Smollett on felony disorderly conduct and false police reports charges, and the court of public opinion wreaked additional havoc on his reputation.
—Alyssa Davis, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
—USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreaked
Verb
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Someone inflicted head and neck trauma on Octavio Arias that proved fatal, according to the medical examiner’s findings.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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Jurors on Tuesday also found true the allegations that Moore intentionally discharged a firearm causing death, personally used a firearm and inflicted great bodily injury in the shootings.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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People were worn down by the waiting patterns imposed upon them by the state; in this film, the couple opts to break free through artistic expression, and mounting a new, dissident work.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
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Losses were imposed on non-tech companies too, as investors became paranoid about how much damage AI might inflict upon sectors like trucking, real estate, and finance.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wreaked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreaked. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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