wreak

American  

[reek] / rik /

verb (used with object)

1. to inflict or execute (punishment, vengeance, etc.).

   They wreaked havoc on the enemy.

   Synonyms:

   unleash, vent, visit, inflict, impose

2. to carry out the promptings of (one's rage, ill humor, will, desire, etc.), as on a victim or object.

   He wreaked his anger on the office staff.

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idioms

1. wreak havoc. see wreak havoc.

wreak British  

/ riːk /

verb

1. to inflict (vengeance, etc) or to cause (chaos, etc)

   to wreak havoc on the enemy

2. to express, or gratify (anger, hatred, etc)

3. archaic to take vengeance for

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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

• wreaker
  noun

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."

Example Sentences

The mites now wreak havoc on American bee colonies by feeding on the insects and spreading a wing-deforming virus.

From Barron's • May 19, 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

Overall, the declining birth rate “continues to wreak havoc with the fragile vitality of public schools,” Fuller added.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Conspicuous consumption isn’t enough in the Silicon Valley bubble where he tends to wreak havoc.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

“What if it goes and possesses you? A Shard of Asase Yaa? It could wreak havoc.”

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• bring about
• inflict
• unleash
• wreck