wrench 1 of 2

noun

Definition of wrenchnext
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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wrench

2 of 2

verb

ˈrench How to pronounce wrench (audio)
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

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2
as in to damage
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure wrenched her shoulder by all of that heavy lifting

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3
as in to yank
to separate or remove by forceful pulling wrenched the post out of the ground

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wrench
Noun
The driver hits Leatherface in the head with a wrench, incapacitating him long enough for the driver to run away and Sally to jump into the cab of a passing pickup truck. — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026 The device is expected to be unveiled later this year – but the lawsuit could throw a wrench into those plans. — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Verb
News of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s death ricocheted across the city, galvanizing protesters and triggering a gut-wrenching sense of deja vu for activists across the country. — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 11 July 2026 That ensemble, and those ekeing out hope, includes Angela McBride (Suzette Llewellyn), a mother of two who goes on a violent rampage of justice-seeking after a gut-wrenching loss. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wrench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrench
  1. twist
  2. tug
  3. pull
  4. yank
  5. wrenching
  6. jerk
  7. tear
  8. grab
Noun
  • Not until the remarkable twist of fate became clear years later, when that infant blossomed into Lamine Yamal.
    — Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
  • Every few years, the high-profile saga resurfaces with new revelations and twists.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 18 July 2026
Definition of twist
Noun
  • The counselor at the helm of the Hobie stood up and tried to alert the tug crew before impact, prosecutors say.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
  • Trajectories are shaped by the force of a micrometeoroid's expulsion from the comet's nucleus, along with the gentle push of radiation from the sun and the gravitational tug of the planets.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of tug
Verb
  • The captain, Giorgos Georgidakis, is pulling souvlaki off the boat’s grill while his niece, Sofia, passes me plates of spanakopita made by her grandmother to bring ashore.
    — Yulia Denisyuk, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 July 2026
  • Both stocks posted record closes last week, before pulling back in recent sessions.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 22 July 2026
Definition of pull
Verb
  • Then we’re yanked into Louis’s hazy POV, from which Armand is reading another one of his apology letters.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • Johnson yanks veterans' benefits package An effort to advance a package of VA benefits bills this morning on the House floor went down in flames – the latest in Speaker Mike Johnson's struggle to get Republicans on the same page.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of yank
Noun
  • Iyer called the case heart-wrenching.
    — Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 8 May 2026
  • This can feel challenging and heart-wrenching.
    — Cori Sears, The Spruce, 22 Jan. 2026
Definition of wrenching
Noun
  • Led and inspired by Chef Wayne Sharpe, this fast Jamaican restaurant serves iconic island meals like jerk chicken, jerk shrimp, vegan jerk, pineapple plantains, rice and peas, and Jamaican patties.
    — Alexandra Phelps July 15, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • Bates plans to expand that menu in the new brick-and-mortar restaurant, adding dishes like jerk catfish pasta and Louisiana Cajun cream sauce over dirty rice.
    — Joey Schamber, jsonline.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Skubal was torn between his allegiance to his country and his commitment to his Tigers team.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Those arrested — many of them torn from their crying children — were detained in squalid conditions for days at a time on the 10th floor that Manhattan Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan earlier this year deemed inhumane.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
Definition of tear
Verb
  • Paredes was quickly on the scene, grabbing Garcia briefly by the throat and shoving him to the floor.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • If relaxing is more your speed, grab a glass of Chablis, settle into an Adirondack chair with a good book, and watch the sunlight dance across the lily pads.
    — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 20 July 2026
Definition of grab

Browse Nearby Words

wrecks
wrench
wrenched
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Cite this Entry

“Wrench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrench. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wrench

Nglish: Translation of wrench for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wrench

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