wrench

American  

[rench] / rɛntʃ /

verb (used with object)

wrenches, present (3rd person singular) wrenched, past participle, past wrenching present participle

1. to twist suddenly and forcibly; pull, jerk, or force by a violent twist.

   He wrenched the prisoner's wrist.

2. to overstrain or injure (the ankle, knee, etc.) by a sudden, violent twist.

   When she fell, she wrenched her ankle.

3. to affect distressingly as if by a wrench.

4. to wrest, as from the right use or meaning.

   to wrench the facts out of context.

   Synonyms:

   warp, twist, distort

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verb (used without object)

wrenches, present (3rd person singular) wrenched, past participle, past wrenching present participle

1. to twist, turn, or move suddenly aside.

   He wrenched away.

2. to give a wrench or twist at something.

noun

wrenches plural

1. a wrenching movement; a sudden, violent twist.

   With a quick wrench, she freed herself.

2. a painful, straining twist, as of the ankle or wrist.

3. a sharp, distressing strain, as to the feelings.

4. a twisting or distortion, as of meaning.

5. a tool for gripping and turning or twisting the head of a bolt, a nut, a pipe, or the like, commonly consisting of a bar of metal with fixed or adjustable jaws.

wrench British  

/ rɛntʃ /

verb

1. to give (something) a sudden or violent twist or pull esp so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached

   to wrench a door off its hinges

2. (tr) to twist suddenly so as to sprain (a limb)

   to wrench one's ankle

3. (tr) to give pain to

4. (tr) to twist from the original meaning or purpose

5. (intr) to make a sudden twisting motion

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noun

1. a forceful twist or pull

2. an injury to a limb, caused by twisting

3. sudden pain caused esp by parting

4. a parting that is difficult or painful to make

5. a distorting of the original meaning or purpose

6. a spanner, esp one with adjustable jaws See also torque wrench

wrench Idioms  

1. see throw a monkey wrench.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wrencher
  noun
• outwrench
  verb (used with object)
• unwrenched
  adjective
• wrenchingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• wrenches
  plural

Participles

• wrenching
  present
• wrenched
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• wrench
  simple
• wrenches
  simple
• have wrenched
  perfect
• has wrenched
  perfect
• am wrenching
  progressive
• are wrenching
  progressive
• is wrenching
  progressive
• have been wrenching
  perfect progressive
• has been wrenching
  perfect progressive

Past

• wrenched
  simple
• had wrenched
  perfect
• was wrenching
  progressive
• were wrenching
  progressive
• had been wrenching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will wrench
  simple
• will have wrenched
  perfect
• will be wrenching
  progressive
• will have been wrenching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of wrench

before 1050; Middle English wrenchen (v.), Old English wrencan to twist, turn; cognate with German renken

Explanation

To wrench means to grab or pull something with a lot of physical force. See this teddy bear? If you want it, you’ll have to wrench it out of my hands, because I’m not willing to give it up. Maybe you have a wrench at home, that is, a hand tool that is used to hold or twist a nut or a pipe joint. If so, you also have a great way to remember what wrench the verb means. Just imagine you're twisting with a wrench, except instead of using a tool, you’re using your hands. If something is heart wrenching, it makes you feel very sad. If you wrench a part of your body, you strain, pull or twist it, injuring yourself in some way.

Example Sentences

But when Pína and Hawk arrive, their presence throws a wrench in a union that’s already on the fritz.

From Salon • Jul. 5, 2026

That worked until the Iran war threw a wrench in gold’s momentum, with rising oil prices raising worries about inflation and expectations for Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026

The spring unwound in an uncontrolled manner, causing the wrench to be ejected and strike him.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

But the broader pickup in pending listings should translate into more sales—if the recent rise in mortgage rates doesn’t throw a wrench in the works.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

It was stiff and hard to turn, so by the time he managed to wrench it open, not just Natalie but even Chess and Emma were clustered right beside him.

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• bend
• dislocate
• distort
• rip
• sprain
• tweak
• wrest
• wring
• yank