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
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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
Sarah Min, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
One of the most cost-effective ways to throw a wrench in the gears of the surveillance state is by piping your service through a virtual private network, and a new announcement from ExpressVPN makes professional-grade protection more affordable and flexible than ever.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
In the second straight Sunday with a gut-wrenching loss, the Broncos fell three games to the back of the pack of the AFC West with a 23-20 loss to the Chargers.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrench
Noun
However, any surprising strength in the inflation readings could throw a wrench in that outlook.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
One of the most cost-effective ways to throw a wrench in the gears of the surveillance state is by piping your service through a virtual private network, and a new announcement from ExpressVPN makes professional-grade protection more affordable and flexible than ever.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
The black goo helped bring about the end of the Engineers; the xenomorphs, the end of various colonist human groups; and now the Lost Boys are wrenching the world from their adult overlords.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
In the second straight Sunday with a gut-wrenching loss, the Broncos fell three games to the back of the pack of the AFC West with a 23-20 loss to the Chargers.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrench
Noun
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Wear it with trousers and loafers for your 9-to-5, cinch it at the waist with a belt and knee-high boots for evenings out, or layer a sweater vest on top for a preppy twist.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Oct. 2025
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Another curious twist involved Matty's grandson, tech whiz Alfie (Aaron Harris), who she's been caring for since the death of her daughter.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
-
There is a tug of war underway for their hearts and minds.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Within minutes, the driver pulls back onto the road to haul the feed to an Algoma dairy farm, where livestock will eat it.—
Miranda Dunlap,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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Coach Sean Payton, aggressively calling for a 2-point conversion after pulling to within 1 point and then unwrapping the perfect play call to capture the lead.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Annoyed Detroit ticketholders reacted Wednesday on YoungBoy fan sites after the LCA show was yanked from the tour schedule.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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Previously, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell yanked their music off the service to protest Joe Rogan’s podcast at the height of the pandemic for supposedly spreading misinformation about the Covid vaccine.—
Roy Trakin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Saddled with an uninteresting jerk half the time and a muzzled non-entity the other half, there’s only a handful of moments in the first six episodes where Powell’s star power shines through.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Sep. 2025
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For a taste of the Caribbean, head to Kingston Kitchen at the Village Inn, where chef Shawn Fearon serves the flavors of his native Jamaica—oxtail, jerk chicken, ackee and saltfish, curried goat, and the best whitefish sandwich on the island.—
Christine Chitnis,
Vogue,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Aiyuk, who tore his ACL and MCL in Week 7 of last season, isn't close to returning, and Pearsall and Jennings have what appear to be more minor ailments.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Driven by Jonny Greenwood’s relentless score, the movie summons not only the images but the psycho-spiritual sensations of a country tearing itself apart.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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People were calling it tacky, brave, MFA garbage, heart wrenching.—
Sarah Adler
September 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Gut wrenching doesn’t begin to describe it.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The ball popped up in the air and Bolton was there to grab it, except he was hit by teammate Drue Tranquill.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
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Sasaki was the necessary answer on Monday night, coming in to secure the final out and avoid disaster as Freddie Freeman sprawled out to grab Tommy Edman’s final throw to first base.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wrench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrench. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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