Synonyms of wrenched

wrenched

verb

past tense of wrench

1

as in pulled

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

• pulled
• yanked
• tugged
• jerked
• plucked
• wrung
• twisted
• wrested
• pried
• removed
• extracted
• lugged
• dislocated
• drew
• dredged (up)
• levered
• jimmied
• tweaked
• displaced
• shifted
• transposed
• disturbed
• transferred
• budged

2

as in damaged

to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure

wrenched her shoulder by all of that heavy lifting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pulled
• damaged
• strained
• hurt
• bruised
• stretched
• weakened
• racked
• tore
• taxed
• wounded
• battered
• impaired
• frayed
• crippled
• harmed
• mutilated
• mangled
• lamed

3

as in yanked

to separate or remove by forceful pulling

wrenched the post out of the ground

Synonyms & Similar Words

• yanked
• tore
• grabbed
• ripped
• pulled
• snatched
• wrested
• pried
• seized
• severed
• extracted
• forced
• snapped (up)
• cut (off)
• jerked
• amputated
• uprooted
• nipped
• nabbed
• dissevered
• prized
• lopped (off)
• rooted (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reattached

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wrenched

On a moonless night, that Alpha team crept silently from the statue’s belly and wrenched open the gates of Troy, decisively ending the war in their favor. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026

Yet the men are wrenched apart, and the culprit seems to be nothing less than a hostile world, one marked by material scarcity and insurmountable alienation. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 13 July 2026

Henley wrenched away from her mother's grip, turned, and darted up the stairs again, leaving Emily and Kate in startled silence. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026

Experts believe the crown’s flexible mount was strained when thieves wrenched it from its display through a narrow slot cut by the angle grinder, according to a report by the Louvre. — Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026

And yet so much of the film community’s focus has been wrenched out of the past into an urgent present and uncertain future. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 2026

In a moment when even humanitarian work around these regions can be wrenched by bad-faith political agendas, Mustafa’s framing of the purpose of Saturday’s show was savvy and measured. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026

And Ahmed al-Ahmed, who came to Australia from Syria in 2006, a former policeman who now owns a fruit stand at Bondi Beach, tackled one of the gunmen and wrenched the rifle from him, even as he was wounded himself. — Scott Simon, NPR, 20 Dec. 2025

The man then tackled the shooter and wrenched the gun away from him. — Anders Hagstrom , Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 14 Dec. 2025