wreak
Americanverb (used with object)
idioms
verb
-
to inflict (vengeance, etc) or to cause (chaos, etc)
to wreak havoc on the enemy
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to express, or gratify (anger, hatred, etc)
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archaic to take vengeance for
Usage
What’s the difference between wreak and reek? Wreak means to inflict or carry out something, especially something harmful—it’s most commonly used in the phrase wreak havoc, meaning to cause chaos or destruction or both. Reek most commonly means to give off a strong, unpleasant odor, as in Your socks reek, dude. While wreak is only ever used as a verb, reek can also be used as a noun meaning a strong, unpleasant smell, though this use is much less common. Wreak is always used with an object, usually some negative effect, as in The storm is expected to wreak destruction throughout the region. Reek usually functions without an object, though in some cases it is followed by the word of and the particular smell, as in It reeks of onions in here. This is also the case when reek is used in a more figurative way meaning to be penetrated or saturated with something negative, as in This case reeks of corruption. Wreak and reek are pronounced exactly the same, so it can be hard to remember which one is which, but you can remember that wreak begins with a w because it is often used in the context of things getting wrecked. Here’s an example of wreak and reek used correctly in the same sentence. Example: I like cooking with leeks, but my wife thinks they reek and says they wreak havoc on her ability to smell anything else. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between reeking and wreaking.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
wreaksimple
-
wreakssimple
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have wreakedperfect
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has wreakedperfect
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am wreakingprogressive
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are wreakingprogressive
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is wreakingprogressive
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have been wreakingperfect progressive
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has been wreakingperfect progressive
Past
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wreakedsimple
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had wreakedperfect
-
was wreakingprogressive
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were wreakingprogressive
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had been wreakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of wreak
First recorded before 900; Middle English wreken, Old English wrecan; cognate with German rächen “to avenge,” Old Norse reka “to drive, avenge,” Gothic wrikan “to persecute”; akin to Latin urgēre “to drive, push”
Explanation
To wreak is to cause something to happen, usually with a terrible consequence. You can make mischief, cause problems, or inflict pain, but to wreak damage suggests a deeper level of destruction. Wreak stems from the Old English wrecan, meaning "to avenge." Its current meaning, that of causing something to happen — usually with dire consequences — came about in the 19th century. The word is a transitive verb, often paired with the equally intense havoc, meaning "devastation."
Vocabulary lists containing wreak
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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The Westing Game
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On the topic of vaccines that probably should be mandatory, measles continues to wreak havoc across the U.S., with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 2,134 confirmed cases this year.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
The new skirmish is over concerns Anthropic’s AI could wreak havoc on global cybersecurity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned Friday that "anyone who sets out to wreak havoc on our streets, to intimidate or threaten anyone... can expect to face the full force of the law".
From Barron's ● May 16, 2026
"For anyone who sets out to wreak havoc on our streets, to intimidate or threaten anyone, you can expect to face the full force of the law."
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
One mistake could ruin not only your life but that of your entire family—and wreak havoc for the entire community.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
At least 18 states have issued air quality alerts, as they should, because wildfire smoke wreaks havoc on the body, from the brain to the heart and lungs to the kidneys.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Garin said earlier this week that the archipelago nation also planned to boost the output of its coal-fired power plants to keep electricity costs down as the war wreaks havoc with gas shipments.
From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026
Participants say the air is thinner and the plunge downhill wreaks havoc on your body.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2025
Itoje is also in the pantheon - a lock who wreaks havoc with his power, his nous and his strategic brilliance.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2025
What strife, what tempest, wreaks its wrath in vain?
From Elias An Epic of the Ages by Whitney, Orson F.
Extreme weather has wreaked havoc on southern and central China this week, bringing torrential rain and severe flooding to Guangxi, with a super typhoon heading towards eastern provinces this weekend.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
The shock has wreaked havoc with Florida-based Mosaic, the dominant publicly listed phosphate producer.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
And you thought spiteful stepmothers wreaked havoc only in fairy tales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
Windy conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier wreaked havoc with Sabalenka's powerful hitting and the Belarusian committed 57 unforced errors.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
It was a similar problem to what astronauts faced when they traveled in space; the journey wreaked havoc on the fragile internal balance of bones, muscles, and nerves.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Fraser Sutherland, the group's coalition manager, said: "Climate change is already affecting people's health and well-being, livelihoods and financial stability in Scotland, with more frequent storms, floods, droughts and wildfires wreaking havoc across the country."
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
And they were unaware, or unconcerned, that that chemical was wreaking havoc on the soil, weakening the trees’ defenses, leaving them extremely vulnerable to disease.
From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026
Climate change is wreaking havoc on agriculture, bringing stronger storms, longer droughts, erratic rainfall and rising temperatures.
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2026
Missile defense systems have intercepted the majority of missiles and drones, but those that have squeaked through are wreaking havoc External link.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
In 1941, Hitler's armies invaded Russia and advanced toward Moscow, wreaking havoc in the Soviets' communications networks.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
