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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of wrenching
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2026
Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.
—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
What's going on is absolutely heart-wrenching.
—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.
—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
One particularly wrenching moment in the film made an impression on her stepfather, Kurt Russell.
—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
21 Nov. 2025
Perhaps the most wrenching scene is one in which Anders, seated alone in a busy café, tunes in to ordinary conversations around him.
—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
This can feel challenging and heart-wrenching.
—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
22 Jan. 2026
Such is the case in Quiara Alegría Hudes’s wrenching and mordant debut novel, The White Hot, in which 26-year-old April Soto hits her breaking point and walks out on her 10-year-old daughter, Noelle.
—
Ruth Madievsky,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
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
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
The family had to make the heart-wrenching decision to take him off life support.
—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
From the performances by Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott to the heart-wrenching score by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch and the gentle script by Haigh, this makes for one of my favorite films of the 2020s.
—
Staff Report,
Oc Register,
21 June 2026
The footage released by the LAPD on Friday shows the moments leading up to the heart-wrenching scene.
—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Its portrayal of overwhelming, gut-wrenching grief could easily leave its characters cynical about love.
—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
And this wrenching essay from visual artist and poet Kennedy Amenya Gisege considers the unique spiritual toll that incarcerated parents face.
—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Savannah stepped back from her role on Today at the time, sharing a number of gut-wrenching pleas to the public with the hope of finding her mother.
—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
8 June 2026
The new policy memorandum, however, could force families like hers to make wrenching choices, sending one member of a couple out of the country with no guarantee they would be allowed back in.
—
Cassandra Burke Robertson,
The Conversation,
27 May 2026
Adjective
His most wrenching scene, when Stagg receives a devastating personal call but cannot react amid the intense geopolitical stakes, captured this tension.
—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2026
Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.
—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
What's going on is absolutely heart-wrenching.
—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.
—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
One particularly wrenching moment in the film made an impression on her stepfather, Kurt Russell.
—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
21 Nov. 2025
Perhaps the most wrenching scene is one in which Anders, seated alone in a busy café, tunes in to ordinary conversations around him.
—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
Iyer called the case heart-wrenching.
—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
This can feel challenging and heart-wrenching.
—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
22 Jan. 2026
Such is the case in Quiara Alegría Hudes’s wrenching and mordant debut novel, The White Hot, in which 26-year-old April Soto hits her breaking point and walks out on her 10-year-old daughter, Noelle.
—
Ruth Madievsky,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
That requires wrenching social changes in how people eat, socialize, and move through nature?
—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
The family had to make the heart-wrenching decision to take him off life support.
—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
From the performances by Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott to the heart-wrenching score by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch and the gentle script by Haigh, this makes for one of my favorite films of the 2020s.
—
Staff Report,
Oc Register,
21 June 2026
The footage released by the LAPD on Friday shows the moments leading up to the heart-wrenching scene.
—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Its portrayal of overwhelming, gut-wrenching grief could easily leave its characters cynical about love.
—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
And this wrenching essay from visual artist and poet Kennedy Amenya Gisege considers the unique spiritual toll that incarcerated parents face.
—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Savannah stepped back from her role on Today at the time, sharing a number of gut-wrenching pleas to the public with the hope of finding her mother.
—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
8 June 2026
The new policy memorandum, however, could force families like hers to make wrenching choices, sending one member of a couple out of the country with no guarantee they would be allowed back in.
—
Cassandra Burke Robertson,
The Conversation,
27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrenching
Adjective
-
Claus trudged to the monitor, watched the foul on an agonizing loop and promptly handed Balogun a red card.
-
In the final minute of stoppage time Cape Verde missed an agonizing last second shot but still claimed a point!
Noun
-
The current federal and state-level policy push shaping how companies deploy AI systems is also experiencing a tug of war.
-
The tug of war is also hair-raising because China's approach puts the world's most powerful AI in the hands of bad actors, who could – and likely will – use the models to wreak havoc.
Verb
-
And often, data centers are pulling from municipal water supplies, Anisfeld said.
-
Haaland’s winning goal came after another bout of yanking and pulling; the striker tried to free himself by slapping the defender’s arm away, eventually just carrying on regardless.
Verb
-
Rats, cockroaches and weasels run amok, tearing through limp tent sheets and biting children and newborn babies in their sleep.
-
That conversation completely shifted Taylor’s perspective, inspiring her to see the home's original features as something worth building around, instead of tearing out.
Adjective
-
As part of her job, Angèle needs to daub makeup on the models’ feet, blistered from the torturous heels they’re forced to wear.
-
The film tells the story of Greek hero Odysseus’ long, torturous and fantastical trip home from the Trojan War, back to the Kingdom of Ithaca to save his wife and son.
Noun
-
With granny shorts, these soft loafers create a relaxed put still put-together look that’s ideal for those who love a classic vibe with a trendy twist.
-
And in a novel twist, there will be a ball drop in New York City’s Times Square at midnight to usher in the July Fourth holiday with much the same revelry that is typically reserved for New Year’s Eve.
Verb
-
Jude, meanwhile, was shifting from tossing cones to tugging at his ears, afflicted with the same malady that had landed several of the toddlers on the room’s version of the injury list.
-
These ergonomic neoprene handle wraps provide additional cushioning around the handles of your carry-on or checked suitcase, a dream for tired, achy hands after a day of tugging luggage.
Verb
-
Now, with the federal and state government yanking back plenty of that funding and directly barring the city from enacting some of its more aggressive climate plans, Higgins is left with a narrow road to tread toward progress.
-
The virtual oar-yanking celebration in a baseball atmosphere was one of those weird juxtapositions that seem to get fostered whenever a World Cup fanbase descends upon a host city.
Cite this Entry
“Wrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrenching. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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