wrench

UK /ˈɹɛnt͡ʃ/ US /ˈɹɛnt͡ʃ/

noun 5verb 5name 1

Definitions

noun

A movement that twists or pulls violently; a tug.

With a wrench, which threw his victim back upon the bed as though hurled from a height, he turned and sprang at us.

An injury caused by a violent twisting or pulling of a limb; strain, sprain.

A trick or artifice.

Deceit; guile; treachery.

A turn at an acute angle.

verb

To pull or twist violently.

With a surge of adrenaline, she wrenched the car door off and pulled out the injured man.

To injure (a joint) by pulling or twisting.

Be careful not to wrench your ankle walking along those loose stones!

To distort the original meaning of; to misrepresent.

To rack with pain; to make hurt or distressed.

And what actinic, mind-wrenching form could the countermeme take? How could human hands assemble something so devastatingly powerful and hold it steady; what human mind could wield it without exploding from the inside out?

To deprive by means of a violent pull or twist.

name

A surname transferred from the nickname.

Collocations

ADJ.

adjustable, all, careful, mean, useful

VERB + WRENCH

borrow, call, don't, grip, hand, monkey, need, pass

WRENCH + NOUN

ankle, bicycle, deliberations, others

PREP.

in, in, into, on, out, until, with

ADV.

commonly

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — a hand tool that is used to hold or twist a nut or bolt

spanner

noun — a jerky pulling movement

twist

noun — a sharp strain on muscles or ligaments

verb — twist suddenly so as to sprain

verb — twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish

wring

verb — twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to rem

twist

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

monkey wrench

To apply a monkey wrench, e.g. to tighten or loosen nuts.

throw a monkey wrench into the works

Synonym of throw a spanner into the works.

throw a wrench in the works

Synonym of throw a spanner in the works.

throw a wrench in

To introduce a problem, dilemma or obstacle in; to complicate.

The pandemic is also weighing on preparations, with election administrations hyperaware that Covid cases could throw a wrench in their plans at the last minute.

throw a wrench in the gears

Synonym of throw a spanner in the works.

Example Bank

With a wrench, which threw his victim back upon the bed as though hurled from a height, he turned and sprang at us.

Wiktionary

But weighing one thing with another he gave Britain for lost; but resolved to make his profit of this business of Britain, as a quarrel for war; and that of Naples, as a wrench and mean for peace

Wiktionary

With a surge of adrenaline, she wrenched the car door off and pulled out the injured man.

Wiktionary

Be careful not to wrench your ankle walking along those loose stones!

Wiktionary

Hand me the wrench.

Tatoeba · #50293

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, wrench is marked as obsolete. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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