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
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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
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wrench
Meredith Nardino, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2025
Beware of timing snags, miscommunications, and other unforeseen wrenches in your plans.
—Nina Kahn, StyleCaster, 24 Feb. 2025
Emily Steel, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2025
Aided by lifelong collector Reubens’ incomparable archive of still photographs and video footage, the portrait that emerges — sometimes humorously, sometimes sadly — is of a man fighting to reestablish control over his own story in the aftermath of the tabloid scandals that wrenched it away.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrench
Noun
Love Is Blind season 8 star Sara Carton gave Us a behind-the-scenes look at the TikTok drama throwing a wrench in her relationship with fiancé Ben Mezzenga.
—Meredith Nardino, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2025
Beware of timing snags, miscommunications, and other unforeseen wrenches in your plans.
—Nina Kahn, StyleCaster, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
Pilots wrenched the plane away from a potential collision before landing safely.
—Emily Steel, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2025
Aided by lifelong collector Reubens’ incomparable archive of still photographs and video footage, the portrait that emerges — sometimes humorously, sometimes sadly — is of a man fighting to reestablish control over his own story in the aftermath of the tabloid scandals that wrenched it away.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrench
Noun
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See what Kessell had to say about the shocking twist below.—
Samantha Highfill,
EW.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Luis Morais Luis Morais considers fine materials with a twist of fun to be the ultimate luxury.—
Mekaylah Yowpp-Hernacki,
Vogue,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Doing so could allow the density of the asteroid to be calculated, based on its gravitational tug on the spacecraft.—
Jonathan O’Callaghan,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
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Indestructible ring ball: $24.99 Big dogs who like to play tug or chew their toys will love this indestructible ring ball.—
Christopher Murray,
Fox News,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Brands began to pull together resources to support refugees.—
Stephan Rabimov,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
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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
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That insurance goal proved to be invaluable two minutes later, when Dougherty’s defenders yanked down a De La Salle player in the box on a set piece and were called for a penalty.—
Joseph Dycus,
The Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2025
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But at the very end, the movie features a giant song-and-dance routine – a shout-out to traditional Bollywood – that a little-too-seamlessly transitions out of the final scene and yanks you out of a satisfying ending.—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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On that note…being concise doesn’t mean being a total jerk either.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
5 Mar. 2025
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Rockwell's Officer Dixon, a mama’s boy with a screw loose and a history of torturing Black prisoners, is a target of her ire − that is, until the actor carefully adds layers to what could be a one-note jerk. 14.—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Winners will be selected by April 15—the day the fire tore through the cathedral in 2019—and are prohibited from selling, gifting, or trading the stones.—
Francesca Aton,
ARTnews.com,
7 Mar. 2025
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More than 16,200 structures were lost to the flames, which tore through the cities of Malibu, Pasadena and Altadena and the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.—
Kyla Guilfoil,
NBC News,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Tari Eason scored 14 points and Dillon Brooks added 12. Sabonis’ injury Sabonis grabbed his left hamstring while running the floor just over a minute into the game.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacramento Bee,
2 Mar. 2025
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Lozano exited the match in the 28th minute after appearing to grab his left hamstring.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Cristian Arango ripped a shot past John Pulskamp for the first goal, after Sporting’s midfield was momentarily carved apart.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
2 Mar. 2025
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The Twister: Caught in the Storm (Netflix documentary) In May 2011, a massive tornado ripped through Joplin, Miss.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
28 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to wrench
Cite this Entry
“Wrench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrench. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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