1
as in twist
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
Relevance
2
as in tug
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 to pull
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 to yank
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
wrenched the post out of the ground
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
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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 wrench
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
For several days, travelers have experienced hours-long delays and other hardships as FAA staffing levels, runway construction, and technical issues have thrown a serious wrench into operations.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 7 May 2025
Sezin Koehler, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Families faced wrenching decisions as the move loomed, including whether to pull children out of school midyear.
—Matthew Lee, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
Her wrenching performances in Dublin brought her back to stardom on the London stage.
—Bob Blaisdell, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for wrench
Noun
The downside of subsea desalination is that servicing units is not as straightforward as sending someone aft with a wrench.
—Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
For several days, travelers have experienced hours-long delays and other hardships as FAA staffing levels, runway construction, and technical issues have thrown a serious wrench into operations.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 7 May 2025
Verb
Late in the film, Erivo has one particularly unforgettable moment of raw, wrenching despair, her wail of grief cutting right through the screen.
—Sezin Koehler, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Families faced wrenching decisions as the move loomed, including whether to pull children out of school midyear.
—Matthew Lee, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
The heart wrenching film, based on a book by author Colleen Hoover, follows a flower shop owner named Lily Blossom Bloom (Lively), who falls in love with a dashing neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) and reconnects with her stoic childhood sweetheart, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar).
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
Her wrenching performances in Dublin brought her back to stardom on the London stage.
—Bob Blaisdell, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for wrench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrench
Adjective
-
But by the end of Episode 7, viewers may very well be repeating the debate about Ellie, whose ultimate fate makes for an agonizing cliffhanger that won’t be resolved until Season 3 premieres (at least).—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
25 May 2025
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The Cabinet confirmation hearings have been agonizing for congressional Democrats, who have watched in horror as Donald Trump has pushed through one outlandish candidate after another.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
In court proceedings in the years to follow, many of Gabriel’s family members, including his siblings Virginia and Ezequiel, testified about the torturous abuse the child experienced at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
People.com,
24 May 2025
-
Smith's lawyers filed a lawsuit along with eight other death row inmates challenge Tennessee’s new protocol, saying there is a high risk of torturous death.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Former New York Daily News reporter Frank Isola covered the Knicks for the hometown newspaper and remembers the slow and excruciating decay at Madison Square Garden.—
Mark Morales,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
-
My cancer had invaded my bones, causing excruciating pain.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
But Tranter and Bartlett said Trump may settle roughly into this range of having an approval rating between 43 percent and 47 percent given the intense polarization of the country, as has been common in the past couple administrations.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
31 May 2025
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Residents of Maoming, China were treated to a celestial light show earlier this week when a surprise fireball burst to life overhead, illuminating the city before disappearing in an intense flare of light.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
But desperate mother Laura (played with a harrowing intensity by Sally Hawkins) makes a pretty good one all on her own.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
30 May 2025
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Given how the harrowing images and videos from Gaza are galvanizing world opinion, Mr. Levy predicted that Mr. Starmer might be forced to cast aside his cautious approach.—
Mark Landler,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
His disregard not just for the conventional norms of the office but, more importantly, his disregard for the truth in matters both personal and presidential add fuel to what was already a pretty raging fire.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
azcentral,
14 Jan. 2020
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Newsletter Sign-up The aggressive forecasts add to a raging debate among energy executives and analysts over what the coming decades may hold for the industry.—
Sarah Kent,
WSJ,
10 Sep. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Wrench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrench. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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