wrench
verb (used with object)
to twist suddenly and forcibly; pull, jerk, or force by a violent twist.
is wrenching
-
present progressiveof wrench (3rd person singular).present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
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.
Across the globe, Florence is wrenching Freddie from writhing on the floor to buck him up for the imminent match.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 17, 2025
Wendell Pierce, as Willy, is wrenching as he flails and fails to avoid his fate instead of slumping into it from the start.
From New York Times ● Oct. 9, 2022
Jennifer Carpenter plays a new mother suffering from postpartum depression, and her introduction, which depicts her struggle to leave her baby and go to work, is wrenching.
From Slate ● Dec. 26, 2019
The ProPublica story is wrenching from its very first sentence: “No one came to court with her that day, except her public defender.”
From Washington Post ● Sep. 17, 2019
It is always the same fibre which vibrates, the tenderest and most sensitive; but instead of an angel caressing it, it is a demon who is wrenching at it.
From Notre-Dame De Paris by Isabel Florence Hapgood
