wreak
verb (used with object)
to inflict or execute (punishment, vengeance, etc.).
wreaked
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past participleof wreak.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof wreak.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
wreakverb (used with object)to inflict or execute (punishment, vengeance, etc.).
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.
The January 2025 wildfires that swept through Pacific Palisades wreaked devastation practically beyond belief, destroying more than 5,600 homes and businesses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Extreme weather has already wreaked havoc on southern and central China this week, with storms leaving at least 39 dead and causing dozens of rivers to overflow and a reservoir dam to burst.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
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
A few days later, the conditions wreaked havoc on another No. 1, as Aryna Sabalenka was blown off course by swirling winds and lost in the quarterfinals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
The big rat laughed insanely and ran faster: on and on, past scenes of desolation and destruction wreaked by him, Cluny the Scourge.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
