wreak havoc
idiom
: to cause great damage
A powerful tornado wreaked havoc on the small village.
The virus wreaked havoc on my computer.
Examples of wreak havoc in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Getting Outside Chronic stress wreaks havoc on our health by driving inflammation, disrupting sleep, impairing immune function, and accelerating cellular aging, Killen said.
—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 9 Feb. 2026
Belmont Area detectives are investigating possible links between a pair of shootings that wreaked havoc up and down the Near West Side over a few hours Tuesday afternoon, where the same group of gunmen may have shot at a total of six people in three cars, leaving three of the victims dead.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
In addition to wreaking havoc inside the oven, the harmful effects of the self-cleaning function can permeate outside the oven too.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
This winter -- the fourth of Russia's full-scale invasion -- has seen Moscow intensively target Ukraine's energy infrastructure, wreaking havoc on the national grid and precipitating rolling and extended blackouts for millions of Ukrainians.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Feb. 2026
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Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 9 Feb. 2026
Belmont Area detectives are investigating possible links between a pair of shootings that wreaked havoc up and down the Near West Side over a few hours Tuesday afternoon, where the same group of gunmen may have shot at a total of six people in three cars, leaving three of the victims dead.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
In addition to wreaking havoc inside the oven, the harmful effects of the self-cleaning function can permeate outside the oven too.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
This winter -- the fourth of Russia's full-scale invasion -- has seen Moscow intensively target Ukraine's energy infrastructure, wreaking havoc on the national grid and precipitating rolling and extended blackouts for millions of Ukrainians.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wreak havoc
Cite this Entry
“Wreak havoc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wreak%20havoc. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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