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
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2
3
as in yanked
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 wrenched
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
Nellie wrenched her knees closer to her body, began rocking.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 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
In the video, one officer wrenched the bathroom door open.
—Idaho Statesman, 14 Nov. 2025
Phillips drove a Green Bay Packers tight end backward, latched onto running back Josh Jacobs with his long left arm and wrenched Jacobs downward.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
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
Nellie wrenched her knees closer to her body, began rocking.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 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
In the video, one officer wrenched the bathroom door open.
—Idaho Statesman, 14 Nov. 2025
Phillips drove a Green Bay Packers tight end backward, latched onto running back Josh Jacobs with his long left arm and wrenched Jacobs downward.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrenched
Verb
-
He was pulled from the game with one out in his second inning after throwing 36 pitches, just 17 strikes.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The Bears trailed 1-0 in the final minute of regulation, but Rian Marquardt tied the contest with 56 ticks remaining after White Bear Lake pulled its goalie.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia yanked Monaco defender Vanderson into a series of strange shapes on the opposite touchline.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Three varieties of cottage cheese sold under Walmart’s Great Value brand got yanked from stores in 24 states on potential pasteurization problems.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
From life’s first moments, multiplying cells are squished, stretched, and tugged to form tissues that bend and twist into organs that expand and contract.—
Clare Watson,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Feb. 2026
-
And when Sky and Virginia were playing in a backyard sandpit one day, her little brother tugged on her T-shirt, pointing toward a snake.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When the fire tore through Altadena in January 2025, Sidecca and a few other stores on the north side of Mariposa Street’s bustling Mariposa Junction survived, while the other half-block of businesses burned to the ground.—
Solvej Schou,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
That project caused sections of Conner Street from 14th Street to 6th Street to close while crews tore out 100-year-old subsurface brick and replaced it with asphalt and concrete.—
Jake Allen,
IndyStar,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Aisha jerked and opened her eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The two stood nose-to-nose on the field when the Steelers player grabbed onto Chase’s facemask, jerked his head and appeared to punch him.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
16 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Podziemski scored 19 points, had six assists and grabbed eight rebounds while helping the Warriors bounce back from a loss to New Orleans the night before.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The report stated that Paul Gardella allegedly grabbed a knife from the kitchen and threatened his ex-wife.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rather than wait on her line tho, Sesno smartly came forward and plucked the ball out of the air before a shot could be taken.—
Clark Fahrenthold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
There was a short period, near the end of a messy, deeply ambiguous night of football at the Parc des Princes, that could have come directly from May 2025, plucked from the timeline and placed here, a little winter gift from the sporting gods.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Yes, there was even more discussion of Mike White being ripped.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Both are basically ripped from the headlines.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrenched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrenched. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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