as in agonizing
intensely or unbearably painful
forced to make the emotionally wrenching decision to place her mother in a nursing home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in twisting
a forceful rotating or pulling motion for the purpose of dislodging something
after a lot of wrenching and tugging, the plumber managed to pull the stubborn pipe free
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in pulling
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
as in damaging
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure
wrenched her shoulder by all of that heavy lifting
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in tearing
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 wrenching
Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
What's going on is absolutely heart-wrenching.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
One particularly wrenching moment in the film made an impression on her stepfather, Kurt Russell.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
Perhaps the most wrenching scene is one in which Anders, seated alone in a busy café, tunes in to ordinary conversations around him.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
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
People were calling it tacky, brave, MFA garbage, heart wrenching.
—Sarah Adler
september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Gut wrenching doesn’t begin to describe it.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
And the heart-wrenching milestones continue to pass.
—Emma Hurt, AJC.com, 19 Feb. 2026
The heart-wrenching drama is a work of autobiographical fiction from writer-director Beth de Araújo about an 8-year-old who witnesses a rape in Golden State Park.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
But Kelly can’t summon interior weight, so the breakdown reads as wooden and childlike rather than wrenching.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026
Kahun had a key assist in the qualifying round against Switzerland, a goal in a quarterfinal upset of Sweden, an assist in a semifinal win over Canada and a goal in a gut-wrenching overtime loss to the Russians in the gold-medal game.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
But the Seahawks and their passionate fans will take it; this title represents Seattle's second Super Bowl triumph and exacts a measure of revenge for the heart-wrenching, last-second defeat in Super Bowl 49.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
In the heart-wrenching video posted on social media, Savannah Guthrie acknowledged hearing media reports about a ransom letter sent to multiple news outlets.
—Jacques Billeaud, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The gut-wrenching video posted to Instagram Wednesday evening is one way the Guthrie family can humanize their mother in the eyes of kidnappers, according to CNN’s Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, John Miller.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.
—Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
What's going on is absolutely heart-wrenching.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
One particularly wrenching moment in the film made an impression on her stepfather, Kurt Russell.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
Perhaps the most wrenching scene is one in which Anders, seated alone in a busy café, tunes in to ordinary conversations around him.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
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
People were calling it tacky, brave, MFA garbage, heart wrenching.
—Sarah Adler
september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Gut wrenching doesn’t begin to describe it.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
Sound of Metal tells the heart-wrenching story of Ruben, a drummer who suddenly loses his hearing.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
And the heart-wrenching milestones continue to pass.
—Emma Hurt, AJC.com, 19 Feb. 2026
The heart-wrenching drama is a work of autobiographical fiction from writer-director Beth de Araújo about an 8-year-old who witnesses a rape in Golden State Park.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
But Kelly can’t summon interior weight, so the breakdown reads as wooden and childlike rather than wrenching.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026
Kahun had a key assist in the qualifying round against Switzerland, a goal in a quarterfinal upset of Sweden, an assist in a semifinal win over Canada and a goal in a gut-wrenching overtime loss to the Russians in the gold-medal game.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
But the Seahawks and their passionate fans will take it; this title represents Seattle's second Super Bowl triumph and exacts a measure of revenge for the heart-wrenching, last-second defeat in Super Bowl 49.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
In the heart-wrenching video posted on social media, Savannah Guthrie acknowledged hearing media reports about a ransom letter sent to multiple news outlets.
—Jacques Billeaud, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The gut-wrenching video posted to Instagram Wednesday evening is one way the Guthrie family can humanize their mother in the eyes of kidnappers, according to CNN’s Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, John Miller.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrenching
Adjective
-
Like many founders before me, the decision was agonizing.—
David Yi,
Allure,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Instead, the child was taken by ambulance to a facility in Miami owned by the same company and was operated on four agonizing days later.—
Arthur E. Palamara,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Scheller, well-respected in Central Florida’s legal community, has been pulling together a team of attorneys willing to represent pro bono migrants detained locally.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Venero was seen dressed entirely in black and pulling a black and red Husky rolling tool bag.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Three women who could be tearing each other apart in the most high-stakes competition on the planet are instead choosing friendship, choosing joy, choosing to have fun with it.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Bring a sledgehammer and swing it, tearing stuff up.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
After a torturous 2025 season that featured one of the worst team pitching performances in major league history, the pitching think tank was overhauled.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Every year many Christians are arrested and imprisoned under torturous conditions for practicing their right to religious freedom, where a simple act like praying together in house-churches seems like an act of civil disobedience.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the seven days leading up to the giant slalom competition, Pinheiro Braathen kept feeling a tug, as if the universe was trying to tell him something.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
This reaction only happens when a massive population feels the tug of emotion all at the same time.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Favorite moment of Games The Olympics are full of heart-tugging moments but none were better than Elana Meyers Taylor standing on the podium after winning the gold medal in women’s monobob.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Now, another hoax is tugging on the heartstrings of animal lovers.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hotel video footage showed the pair forcing entry into the hotel by yanking on a lobby door and breaking the lock.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The yellow bucket of a heavy construction excavator crashed down onto the roof of the vacant home at Parade Park, yanking it into a heap of split plaster and lumber.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The teenager in agony after a crushed leg, or the 80 year old down the hall dying an excruciating death from cancer?—
Parker Crutchfield,
STAT,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The descriptions of slavery are excruciating.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrenching. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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