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
In the twentieth century, the same storms that made headlines in New York wreaked quieter havoc across the river.
—
Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The consequences of that sabotage added to the environmental devastation wreaked by the oil multinationals.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Even as fresh violence is wreaked on the country, there has yet to be a full accounting of the government’s brutal crackdown in January, during which thousands of people protesting the deteriorating economy were killed by security forces.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
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
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
The 1935 storm wreaked massive devastation and wiped out the Florida Keys.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2025
Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The consequences of that sabotage added to the environmental devastation wreaked by the oil multinationals.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Even as fresh violence is wreaked on the country, there has yet to be a full accounting of the government’s brutal crackdown in January, during which thousands of people protesting the deteriorating economy were killed by security forces.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
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
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
The 1935 storm wreaked massive devastation and wiped out the Florida Keys.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreaked
Verb
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In 2010, Fidesz, assisted in part by the bruises inflicted by the global financial crisis, won a sweeping parliamentary majority.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Few of its missiles and drones inflicted physical damage throughout Israel and the Arab world.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Combs’ lawyers formally appealed the conviction last December, arguing the encounters were consensual and the trial judge imposed an overly harsh sentence.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on Friday that has imposed sanctions on five Russian cultural figures who are involved with organizing the Russian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wreaked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreaked. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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