as in inflicts
to cause to suffer punishment or vengeance for
wreaked their vengeance on those they considered enemies
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Recent Examples of wreaks
The party already faced historical challenges as the majority party going into the midterm elections, on top of economic headwinds that have become even stronger as the Iran war wreaks havoc on the global economy.
—
Julia Manchester, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2026
Items below the benchmark are sorted into a different area mainly for incineration or landfill, which is where textile pollution wreaks its most damage.
—Tian MacLeod Ji, Fortune, 2 Apr. 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
Max wreaks some more havoc after the excursion by gunning it on the tender while towing guests on the tube.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
But when a terrible fire wreaks damage, a miracle occurs.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 18 Sep. 2025
Yet no one community better reflects the cascade of consequences that gun violence wreaks on kids’ classrooms, homes and relationships.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Julia Manchester, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2026
Items below the benchmark are sorted into a different area mainly for incineration or landfill, which is where textile pollution wreaks its most damage.
—Tian MacLeod Ji, Fortune, 2 Apr. 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
Max wreaks some more havoc after the excursion by gunning it on the tender while towing guests on the tube.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
But when a terrible fire wreaks damage, a miracle occurs.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 18 Sep. 2025
Yet no one community better reflects the cascade of consequences that gun violence wreaks on kids’ classrooms, homes and relationships.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreaks
Verb
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These arrests also take officers off the streets for hours to process these arrests, which inflicts a financial toll on the CPD’s overtime budget.—
Silvana Tabares,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
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There is also a growing body of credible evidence showing how EdTech inflicts emotional, cognitive, physical, and developmental harms on children, adolescents, and young adults, while displacing the human relationships that are essential to healthy human development and well-being.—
Dr. Timothy Scott,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And that last item often puts us closer to those teenage feelings than heartbreak ever can.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
4 May 2026
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The latest poll puts Bianco in third place at 14%, followed by Tom Steyer, the billionaire hedge fund founder and environmental advocate, at 12%.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The Red Flag Day declaration imposes street-parking restrictions in select areas to ensure access for first responders if a fire should erupt.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
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Iran controls which ships are allowed to pass and, for at least some vessels, imposes a tax on their cargo.—
Adam Schreck,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wreaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreaks. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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