wrench

American  

[rench] / rɛntʃ /

verb (used with object)

wrenches, present (3rd person singular) wrenched, past participle, past wrenching present participle

1. to twist suddenly and forcibly; pull, jerk, or force by a violent twist.

   He wrenched the prisoner's wrist.

2. to overstrain or injure (the ankle, knee, etc.) by a sudden, violent twist.

   When she fell, she wrenched her ankle.

3. to affect distressingly as if by a wrench.

4. to wrest, as from the right use or meaning.

   to wrench the facts out of context.

   Synonyms:

   warp, twist, distort

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verb (used without object)

wrenches, present (3rd person singular) wrenched, past participle, past wrenching present participle

1. to twist, turn, or move suddenly aside.

   He wrenched away.

2. to give a wrench or twist at something.

noun

1. a wrenching movement; a sudden, violent twist.

   With a quick wrench, she freed herself.

2. a painful, straining twist, as of the ankle or wrist.

3. a sharp, distressing strain, as to the feelings.

4. a twisting or distortion, as of meaning.

5. a tool for gripping and turning or twisting the head of a bolt, a nut, a pipe, or the like, commonly consisting of a bar of metal with fixed or adjustable jaws.

wrench British  

/ rɛntʃ /

verb

1. to give (something) a sudden or violent twist or pull esp so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached

   to wrench a door off its hinges

2. (tr) to twist suddenly so as to sprain (a limb)

   to wrench one's ankle

3. (tr) to give pain to

4. (tr) to twist from the original meaning or purpose

5. (intr) to make a sudden twisting motion

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noun

1. a forceful twist or pull

2. an injury to a limb, caused by twisting

3. sudden pain caused esp by parting

4. a parting that is difficult or painful to make

5. a distorting of the original meaning or purpose

6. a spanner, esp one with adjustable jaws See also torque wrench

wrench Idioms  

1. see throw a monkey wrench.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unwrenched
  adjective
• wrencher
  noun
• wrenchingly
  adverb
• outwrench
  verb (used with object)

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has wrenched
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have wrenched
  perfect
• am wrenching
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been wrenching
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been wrenching
  perfect progressive
• wrenches
  singular 3rd person
• wrenching
  participle
• are wrenching
  progressive
• is wrenching
  progressive 3rd person singular

Past

• had wrenched
  perfect
• was wrenching
  progressive singular
• were wrenching
  progressive plural
• had been wrenching
  perfect progressive
• wrenched
  simple
• wrenched
  participle

Future

• will wrench
  simple
• will have wrenched
  perfect
• will have been wrenching
  perfect progressive
• will be wrenching
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of wrench

before 1050; Middle English wrenchen (v.), Old English wrencan to twist, turn; cognate with German renken

Explanation

To wrench means to grab or pull something with a lot of physical force. See this teddy bear? If you want it, you’ll have to wrench it out of my hands, because I’m not willing to give it up. Maybe you have a wrench at home, that is, a hand tool that is used to hold or twist a nut or a pipe joint. If so, you also have a great way to remember what wrench the verb means. Just imagine you're twisting with a wrench, except instead of using a tool, you’re using your hands. If something is heart wrenching, it makes you feel very sad. If you wrench a part of your body, you strain, pull or twist it, injuring yourself in some way.

Example Sentences

But the broader pickup in pending listings should translate into more sales—if the recent rise in mortgage rates doesn’t throw a wrench in the works.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

Wielding a pocket Allen wrench, her colleague Estefany Rodriguez adjusted seat heights and brake handle alignments on Vivian’s new ride.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

As a result, the crisis "has thrown a proverbial wrench into the inner workings of the aviation fuel markets", it said.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Since his early days designing for Perry Ellis, fresh off a winning showcase at the Parsons School of Design’s end-of-term fashion show, Jacobs has relished throwing a wrench in the system.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

The twitch turned into a wrench when Clarence raised his voice to declare the next one was two-step and Derrick handed his drum to Tree.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Related Words

• bend
• dislocate
• distort
• rip
• sprain
• tweak
• wrest
• wring
• yank