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
Sarah Adler
september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Gut wrenching doesn’t begin to describe it.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
This wrenching and ultimately fatal sequence of events puts two design failures in sharp relief.
—David Autor, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025
Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
The gut-wrenching film uses voice recordings between Hind Rajab and the Red Crescent volunteers who got the emergency call and tried to keep her on the line to get an ambulance to her.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
Co-starring Andrew Scott as Rodgers and Margaret Qualley as a semi-fictionalized admirer of the closeted Hart, Blue Moon promises to be a wrenching look at a complex and tortured songwriter, with stunning performances to boot.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 2 Sep. 2025
An increasing number of deaths due to malnutrition have also been reported and gut-wrenching images have emerged of suffering children and long food lines.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2025
Lily took her EpiPen, gave herself a second injection and shared a wrenching exchange with her mother.
—Janelle Griffith, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Set to Tchaikovsky’s heart wrenching score, this tragic tale tells the story of Prince Siegfried, who falls in love with the ethereal Odette.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 14 Aug. 2025
People hollowed out by 30 years of grief recount what happened in raw, wrenching detail.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
On July 23, Tom Ferebee dropped a Little Boy test bomb off Tinian as the plane rehearsed the gut-wrenching 155-degree right bank necessary to escape the blast.
—David Perlmutt, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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
This wrenching and ultimately fatal sequence of events puts two design failures in sharp relief.
—David Autor, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025
Verb
The film’s all-Palestinian cast — including Motaz Malhees, Clara Khoury and Amer Hlehel — spoke in Venice of the emotionally wrenching mood throughout production.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
The gut-wrenching film uses voice recordings between Hind Rajab and the Red Crescent volunteers who got the emergency call and tried to keep her on the line to get an ambulance to her.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
Co-starring Andrew Scott as Rodgers and Margaret Qualley as a semi-fictionalized admirer of the closeted Hart, Blue Moon promises to be a wrenching look at a complex and tortured songwriter, with stunning performances to boot.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 2 Sep. 2025
An increasing number of deaths due to malnutrition have also been reported and gut-wrenching images have emerged of suffering children and long food lines.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2025
Lily took her EpiPen, gave herself a second injection and shared a wrenching exchange with her mother.
—Janelle Griffith, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Set to Tchaikovsky’s heart wrenching score, this tragic tale tells the story of Prince Siegfried, who falls in love with the ethereal Odette.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 14 Aug. 2025
People hollowed out by 30 years of grief recount what happened in raw, wrenching detail.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
On July 23, Tom Ferebee dropped a Little Boy test bomb off Tinian as the plane rehearsed the gut-wrenching 155-degree right bank necessary to escape the blast.
—David Perlmutt, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrenching
Adjective
-
Their youngest son, Grayson, can still recall the day his parents reported to their separate facilities — and the agonizing decision of who to accompany.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
-
To see Gauff and Shelton live through the rollercoaster was agonizing and uplifting at the same time.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Running back Henry Rutledge is awaiting the results of an MRI for a lower-body injury after pulling himself after playing five snaps against North Carolina.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Companies that committed to DEI efforts and made public statements are now pulling back from those policies, editing their websites, disbanding employee resource groups, and quietly abandoning inclusive hiring goals.—
C200,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Rodgers had a very forgettable two-year run as the Jets QB over the last two seasons, leading the team to a 5-12 record in 2024 after missing all of the 2023 season after tearing his Achilles in the season opener that year.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Missed the final 14 games last year after tearing his ACL at Tampa.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Within the film’s compact running time, writer-director Ben Hania traces the fraught and torturous hours of January 29, 2024, when Palestine Red Crescent volunteers in the West Bank tried to calm a terrified 6-year-old girl and get an ambulance to her in Gaza.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
-
From the almost humorous to the truly torturous, being plunked into unknown wilderness in total isolation—which is what happens on Alone—results in all manner of strange mental phenomenon.—
Woniya Thibeault,
Outside,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
When the state attorney’s office steps in, the prosecution pushes back, resulting in a legal and political tug of war that thrusts Adnan’s case into chaotic uncertainty.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Several noted that his instinctive tug had likely prevented the pair from colliding with the elk.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Of course, amid the drama tugging at viewers’ heartstrings, the show will, in following 9-1-1 tradition, feature larger-than-life rescues, including of one tech billionaire (played by Mark Consuelos) who is swallowed by a whale.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The wind howled, rattling metal signs and tugging at our clothes as the dust swallowed everything in sight.—
Shaun McKinnon,
AZCentral.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But some lawmakers say that argument is baseless and that yanking the grants has left the state less equipped to prevent tragedies like this week’s attack at Annunciation Catholic School.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
30 Aug. 2025
-
See, for example, Trump yanking the security clearances of former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Chris Krebs for his defense of the 2020 election as securely run.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Anyone who has competed on Survivor or any non-live reality competition knows that being humiliated on-camera doesn’t stop at the end of the taping; there’s typically a period of waiting for the actual show to be televised, and that can be almost as excruciating.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Extra canister now, no excruciating diarrhea later.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrenching. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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