1
as in twists
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 tugs
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 pulls
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 tears
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
wrenched the post out of the ground
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wrenches
Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
Hearts, bathrobes, skulls, hammers, wrenches, Pinocchio and self-portraits constantly reappear throughout his practice, each revisited with new intensity and meaning over time.
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Jp Mangalindan, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
Washington — The roughly 20 plumbers of Oak Creek Plumbing & Remodeling in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area don’t just bring toolkits with wrenches, pliers and Teflon tape to customers’ homes these days.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
Hearts, bathrobes, skulls, hammers, wrenches, Pinocchio and self-portraits constantly reappear throughout his practice, each revisited with new intensity and meaning over time.
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
Gudsen, unmasked earlier as one of the two serial arsonists she's been hunting, unbuckles her seat belt and wrenches the wheel, sending them into a crash designed to kill her.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrenches
Noun
-
But others offered different twists.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
-
With three seasons already under its belt, The Way Home has delivered plenty of heartfelt drama, compelling mysteries, and unexpected time-travel twists.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Less obvious is how the Earth itself tugs at the solid rocky surface of the moon.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Sorbitol pulls water into your colon to soften stools.—
Julie Marks,
Verywell Health,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The pain of the cold pulls back, replaced by a fizzing in my limbs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
First released in 2020 on South Africa’s M-Net, a division of MultiChoice, and now a Canal Plus company, the thriller about how a family tears itself apart in a succession battle built a huge fandom in South Africa and fame abroad.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The Achilles tears that the Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers suffered during the 2025 playoffs have made the race for the conference wide open this coming season.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Suddenly, someone in the audience yanks her violently into the screaming mass of people.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
-
In each Whatever After novel, a magic portal yanks the main character, Abby, out of her comfortable life and thrusts her into another reality.—
Sarah Mlynowski,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Never one to sit idly by, Danny grabs his NYPD shield and goes bulldozing his way to the crime scene.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
-
And then Rising walks away, grabs the iPad and motions for Mayer to join him.—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The sequel sees Odenkirk’s Hutch Mansell attempt to take a family vacation, only to cross paths with violent jerks played by Colin Hanks and Sharon Stone.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
-
The mechanism feels smooth and sturdy—no awkward jerks or wobbles.—
Zoë Sessums,
Architectural Digest,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The dog jumps up and plucks the burger from her—a move that left viewers stunned and amused by the canine's flawless execution.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
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There may be even greater reasons to put an ad that plucks the heartstrings in front of a broader crowd.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wrenches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrenches. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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