wrench 1 of 2

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

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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

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wrench

2 of 2

verb

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

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2
as in to damage
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure wrenched her shoulder by all of that heavy lifting

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3

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wrench
Noun
Continue reading … ‘BURIED’ – How Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' latest move throws a wrench in claim, expert warns. Fox News, 18 Feb. 2025 And that’s not to mention a new US President who has thrown a wrench into just about everything. Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
The pilot wrenched the stick back and the F-22 pulled out of the dive 500 feet—or two-tenths of a second—short of impact. J. George Gorant, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 2024 The Eagles led 10-0 when Dean sniffed out a screen, then tore the patellar tendon in his left knee while wrenching tight end Tucker Kraft to the turf. Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrench
Noun
  • It’s also enmeshed with a BEAMS PLUS twist on classic nautical style, blending craftsmanship with contemporary design.
    Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Denim corsets have also been trending over the past couple of years with celebrities like Taylor Swift, Ashley Park, Anne Hathaway, Shakira, and Bella Hadid putting their individual twists on the look.
    Marissa Muller, WWD, 15 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Astronomers discovered 51 Pegasi b by detecting a wobble in its star’s motion caused by the gravitational tug of the orbiting planet—a technique called the Doppler (or radial velocity) method.
    Dakotah Tyler, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2025
  • The 185-foot vessel, known as Yard Derrick 254, was guided into place by tug boats operating near the western tip of Shelter Island.
    Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Brands began to pull together resources to support refugees.
    Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
  • The 13-minute performance will likely call for a healthy dose of vibrant, colored lighting to pull it all together.
    Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • On the Tuesday morning in January when Los Angeles began to burn, the Santa Ana winds whipped hard at Courtney Storer’s driveway gate, at the edge of the city’s East Side, yanking open the wooden doors.
    Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
  • Its oblique introduction begins with Bini foraging for mushrooms on a hillside, presenting him as a man in touch with nature in the abstract, before the movie yanks us into the fold of his profession.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • With that put to bed, our attention turns back to the husbands, and all the new rumors from this season, like Lisa bringing up Shawn’s name in regards to circle jerks.
    Tom Smyth, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
  • Diagnosed first with Jeavons syndrome in 2018/19—a rare form of epilepsy characterized by absence seizures and eyelid jerks—a 1,000-gene epilepsy panel in 2020 revealed further health problems.
    George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • But we’re personally torn between Kieran Culkin and Guy Pearce.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2025
  • The bottle our acquaintance asked about appeared to be worth more than that, save for two problems: The label was torn and had been taped to the bottle, and the owner had received it as a gift.
    Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Then, almost missing the cue, Belushi stepped forward and grabbed the mic stand.
    David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2025
  • The second woman, the grandmother of the 5-year-old girl and mother of the 22-year-old victim, tried to intervene when Phillips grabbed and pushed her, authorities said.
    Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Republicans have ripped the idea, saying that a credit of $50 would not have much impact on a family of four that is trying to pay the bills.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
  • In early January, several fires ripped through parts of Los Angeles, burning tens of thousands of acres and destroying more than 9,000 buildings, including homes and businesses.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrench. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

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