1
as in twist
a forceful rotating or pulling motion for the purpose of dislodging something
with a sharp wrench of the hammer I pulled the nail from the board
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in tug
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
with one final hard wrench I was able to pull the cork from the bottle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to pull
to move by or as if by a forceful rotation
with one last sharp yank, he wrenched the lid off the bottle of ketchup
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
as in to yank
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
wrenched the post out of the ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wrench
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
What’s interesting about that is to see how, when money or business come in, that can really throw a wrench into those kind of friendships.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 18 Jan. 2026
Raghuram Rajan, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
From Agnes’ brutal childbirth scenes to the wrenching heartbreak when the plague hits their household and takes 11-year-old Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), Zhao immerses you in Agnes and Will’s grief while also touching on their own individual internal tussles.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrench
Noun
Using the same hammer with increasing fevered frenzy is not going to address the challenge when a different approach, like perhaps a saw or a wrench, is needed.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
What’s interesting about that is to see how, when money or business come in, that can really throw a wrench into those kind of friendships.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 18 Jan. 2026
Verb
The Fed, under Chair Paul Volcker, eventually brought it under control, but only after two wrenching recessions in the early 1980s.
—Raghuram Rajan, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
From Agnes’ brutal childbirth scenes to the wrenching heartbreak when the plague hits their household and takes 11-year-old Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), Zhao immerses you in Agnes and Will’s grief while also touching on their own individual internal tussles.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrench
Noun
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Its twists are as shocking as those in a conventional thriller, and Cretton is a master of selling emotions and entire character arcs with a single shot.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
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But a huge twist reveals that Kilmartin’s cousin Michael Stirling—who becomes a love interest for Francesca in the later novels—has been gender-swapped to Michaela.—
Sophie Hanson,
StyleCaster,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Even as home priorities tug, warmth and patience keep everyone on your side through this shift.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
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Available in eight shades, the lip liners are formulated with hyaluronic filling spheres for a tug-free glide, coconut and jojoba oil blend for lightweight nourishment, and carnauba and candelilla wax blend to help create precise, seamless lines.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Bulldogs pulled within 69-66 with just over nine minutes remaining, but the Aggies answered with back-to-back three-pointers from Ali Dibba and Jacari Lane to regain control.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
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Video shows the girl carefully pulling a coaster from the tower before the entire structure cascades downward in seconds, prompting audible reactions from spectators.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Both Blazy and Anderson, millennials with big brains, are yanking the fusty business of extraordinary clothes into the present – the former with a swell of empathy, and the other with a cerebral but intimate approach.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Thom yanked on his jeans, gave me one last sharp look and slammed the door.—
Nick Dothée,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Drift through the crowd as the smell of smoky jerk chicken and grilled cheese mingles with fresh lumpia, vegan soul bowls, and small-batch kombucha.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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The Store offers flavors such as buffalo, garlic parmesan, barbecue, sweet chili, Torrington Hot, mango habanero, Jamaican jerk, spicy harissa, lemon pepper, Marsala, spicy Mediterranean, Tunisian buffalo and garlic hot.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Walmart had become the poster child of the big bad corporation that underpaid its workers, squeezed its suppliers and tore at the fabric of small-town America.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
3 Feb. 2026
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When there is this much money to be made, that possibility with always crush common sense, and makes the chance at a migraine, a broken bone or torn ACL worth the risk.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This can feel challenging and heart-wrenching.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
22 Jan. 2026
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Such is the case in Quiara Alegría Hudes’s wrenching and mordant debut novel, The White Hot, in which 26-year-old April Soto hits her breaking point and walks out on her 10-year-old daughter, Noelle.—
Ruth Madievsky,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The bottom-line mandate for the Bruins on Monday night was to grab two points against the worst team in the Eastern Conference.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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On January 13, in a win over the Chicago Bulls, Davison played 24 minutes, scoring 9 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and dishing out 4 assists.—
Rahat Huq,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrench. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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