spanner

American  

[span-er] / ˈspæn ər /

noun

spanners plural

1. a person or thing that spans.

2. Also called spanner wrench.  a wrench having a curved head with a hook or pin at one end for engaging notches or holes in collars, certain kinds of nuts, etc.

3. Chiefly British. a wrench, especially one with fixed jaws.

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spanner British  

/ ˈspænə /

noun

1. a steel hand tool with a handle carrying jaws or a hole of particular shape designed to grip a nut or bolt head

2. informal a source of impediment or annoyance (esp in the phrase throw a spanner in the works )

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• spanners
  plural

Etymology

Origin of spanner

First recorded in 1630–40; span ¹ + -er ¹

Explanation

A spanner is a type of adjustable wrench. Outside of North America, spanner is just another word for “wrench.” If Americans want to ruin something, they “throw a wrench into it.” British people “throw a spanner in the works.” If you've ever needed to assemble something — like bookshelves — and needed to tighten or loosen a bolt, you probably needed a spanner. A spanner is a type of wrench with an opening and sometimes little teeth: you can clasp it over the nut or bolt and get a good grip. In the US, the main difference between a spanner and other wrenches is the spanner is adjustable and works with many sizes of nuts and bolts.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spanner spanners

Trivium said the law, once passed, will add “another spanner to Beijing’s growing counter-sanctions legal tool kit.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

It can reduce the amount you have to borrow when life throws you a spanner.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026

Paris had already thrown a spanner in the works by calling this week for a delay to the vote, demanding robust safeguard clauses, tighter import controls and more stringent standards for Mercosur producers.

From Barron's ● Dec. 17, 2025

Divorce, obviously, puts a spanner in the works — and two divorces means two spanners — but you’ve managed to come out of those marriages financially intact.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2025

A young Beta- Minus mechanic was busy with screwdriver and spanner on the blood-surrogate pump of a passing bottle.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Divorce, obviously, puts a spanner in the works — and two divorces means two spanners — but you’ve managed to come out of those marriages financially intact.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2025

Two spanners have recently been thrown in the works.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2022

Biker jackets were paired with skirts bearing cutouts, shimmering silver jackets were cropped and had large shoulders, while prints on colourful dresses depicted spanners and bolts.

From Reuters ● Sep. 23, 2022

“These are my bolts, nuts, spanners these days,” he said jokingly, pointing to cabbages, carrots, tomatoes, onions and potatoes packed in the back of the pickup.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 15, 2020

She fell on her knees, threw open the bag, and tumbled out some spanners and a screwdriver that filled the top part of it.

From "1984" by George Orwell