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
Jacob Wilt, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 25 Feb. 2026
There was a walking stick shoved into Hitler’s mouth and a wrench lodged deep into his temple.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
Jacob Louraine, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
Despite suffering two gut-wrenching home losses in a row, UCF basketball isn’t quite ready to hit the panic button regarding its NCAA Tournament chances.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrench
Noun
Kyle's removal throws a wrench in Q's plans, as the two had already formed an alliance.
—Jacob Wilt, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 25 Feb. 2026
There was a walking stick shoved into Hitler’s mouth and a wrench lodged deep into his temple.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
The diagnosis of the aggressive form of bone cancer required several surgeries, chemotherapy and a wrenching goodbye to his skateboarding career.
—Jacob Louraine, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
Despite suffering two gut-wrenching home losses in a row, UCF basketball isn’t quite ready to hit the panic button regarding its NCAA Tournament chances.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrench
Noun
-
Nijman’s retirement was a surprising twist for the Panthers’ offensive line depth chart.—
Mike Kaye
March 12,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Other twists came in the form of California rolls (drizzled with truffle oil) and yellowtail tuna (diced and served in mini taco shells).—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Field Day Song The Melon Patch kids compete in fun Field Day activities and learn the power of teamwork with activities like tug of war and relay races.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Infused with cranberry seed oil, the formula delivers a smooth, creamy glide with zero tug in sight.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Not a second later, Mustangs senior Frank Psaute pulled from deep, nailed a triple, and nodded at David as the Mustangs cut Rock Canyon’s lead to five.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Then Liel Abada had a clean breakaway in the 22nd minute but pulled wide right.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In other words, eliminating them from the animal kingdom would be like yanking an entire tier of Jenga blocks out of the middle of the tower.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
15 Mar. 2026
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The community backlash was swift as customers stopped going to the South End brewery and distributors yanked Sycamore products from shelves.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Without comment, the president shared multiple news articles covering his previous remarks slamming Maher as a jerk.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The Lion’s Tail that tastes like if a Jamaican jerk chicken and a Whiskey Sour couldn’t keep their hands off each other.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Then, within days of finally being cleared to practice during the summer at USC, Arenas learned his meniscus was torn.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP Images from the scene on Swiss media showed flames tearing through the bus.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This can feel challenging and heart-wrenching.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
22 Jan. 2026
-
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
-
Heo re-holstered his Taser, intending to apprehend Best by grabbing or tackling him, Prescott said.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
9 Mar. 2026
-
While the two men struggle with the jammed backdoor, Weisz’s character tosses them both a look before rushing toward the flames to grab her unfinished manuscript, written on legal pads, and dashing out of the cabin just in time.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrench. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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