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
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.
—Tim Padgett, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
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
Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 8 May 2026
This can feel challenging and heart-wrenching.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 22 Jan. 2026
Such is the case in Quiara AlegrĂa 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
Austin Elias-De Jesus, New Yorker, 3 June 2026
During the Industrial Revolution, societies faced wrenching transitions that produced both extraordinary prosperity and extraordinary suffering.
—Jamie Merisotis, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
The new policy memorandum, however, could force families like hers to make wrenching choices, sending one member of a couple out of the country with no guarantee they would be allowed back in.
—Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 27 May 2026
The love story — spirited and wrenching — begins with the meet-cute in a Los Angeles high school of introverted skateboarder AJ and gutsy surfer Kristen.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Simpson, butched up and closed off and vibrating with inarticulate pain, is superb in the part, and Jimenez’s rigid shoulders and frozen face are wrenching.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 May 2026
Directed by Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, the heart-wrenching family drama stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as the parents of a Romanian family with strict religious beliefs who move to a small village in Norway.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 19 May 2026
Rousey quickly moved into position and applied her famous finishing move, wrenching Carano's arm as the fight was stopped.
—CBS News, 17 May 2026
Dwight grabbed my arm, wrenching my hand out of my pocket, flaying it like a fish, pulling me along.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Adjective
His most wrenching scene, when Stagg receives a devastating personal call but cannot react amid the intense geopolitical stakes, captured this tension.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.
—Tim Padgett, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
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
Iyer called the case heart-wrenching.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 8 May 2026
This can feel challenging and heart-wrenching.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 22 Jan. 2026
Such is the case in Quiara AlegrĂa 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
Success after so much failure—gut-wrenching letdowns after episodes of Odyssean temptation to fleeting belief, too many to count—is almost an ordeal.
—Austin Elias-De Jesus, New Yorker, 3 June 2026
During the Industrial Revolution, societies faced wrenching transitions that produced both extraordinary prosperity and extraordinary suffering.
—Jamie Merisotis, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
The new policy memorandum, however, could force families like hers to make wrenching choices, sending one member of a couple out of the country with no guarantee they would be allowed back in.
—Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 27 May 2026
The love story — spirited and wrenching — begins with the meet-cute in a Los Angeles high school of introverted skateboarder AJ and gutsy surfer Kristen.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Simpson, butched up and closed off and vibrating with inarticulate pain, is superb in the part, and Jimenez’s rigid shoulders and frozen face are wrenching.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 May 2026
Directed by Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, the heart-wrenching family drama stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as the parents of a Romanian family with strict religious beliefs who move to a small village in Norway.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 19 May 2026
Rousey quickly moved into position and applied her famous finishing move, wrenching Carano's arm as the fight was stopped.
—CBS News, 17 May 2026
Dwight grabbed my arm, wrenching my hand out of my pocket, flaying it like a fish, pulling me along.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrenching
Adjective
-
Settling on Heise, Pannek and Rooney as the first three players to protect was agonizing, Caruso and Klee said.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
8 June 2026
-
Sarunya, here since 1999, is a familiar face to many, for sometimes agonizing but superlative reflexology.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
However, instead of the pilot starting the engines during pushback and the tug disconnecting afterward, TaxiBot remains attached to the nose gear via a specialized pivoting clamping platform.—
David Szondy
June 07,
New Atlas,
7 June 2026
-
Its tech is being used to power the world’s first electric tugs that are about to go into service at the Port of Long Beach, under a deal worth $160 million announced in late 2025.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
If the plant was root bound in its pot, consider pulling it out of the ground, loosening up the roots so water can penetrate, and replanting it.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 June 2026
-
The mother of a security guard killed while working at a Deep Ellum nightclub last month has filed a lawsuit against the club and the man accused of pulling the trigger.—
Erin Jones,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
That would be an enormous lift to Green Bay’s offense, as Kraft was having an All-Pro level season in 2025 before tearing his ACL.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Lee, who relieved fans by hitting his old high notes on night one, sounded even stronger on night two, gleefully tearing into the most challenging corners of their catalog.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
International human rights leaders have condemned nitrogen hypoxia as experimental, violent and potentially torturous.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
The execution method, which involves strapping a respirator onto the inmate's face and replacing breathable air with pure nitrogen gas, causing death by lack of oxygen, has been criticized by opponents as inhumane and torturous.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Available in 16 summer-ready colors, the sweater top brings an elegant twist to your wardrobe with its dramatic sleeves, throwback boxy silhouette, and delicate ruffle detailing.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
-
Instead, a strong, supportive hand from Griffin, whose writing is in each episode, underscores how to gradually build a story without feeling like an unearned twist is around the corner.—
William Earl,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Vinicus followed up his stunning early strike with a series of nagging runs, tugging the Panamanians’ back line into awkward shapes.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
-
Jupiter's moons are in a chain of orbital resonances that could only have formed by the moons tugging gently on each other in passing over a long period of time, and crater records also suggest that Jupiter's moons are very, very old.—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
There are stories of major Nashville players yanking him off the street, keeping him drunk for days in hotels, then leaving Knoxville with stacks of new songs.—
Jonathan Rowe,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
-
Since early May, companies that used the dry milk powder in their food products have been yanking those products on the concern they might be contaminated with salmonella.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrenching. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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