wrench

[ rench ]

/ rɛntʃ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR wrench ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to twist suddenly and forcibly; pull, jerk, or force by a violent twist: He wrenched the prisoner's wrist.

to overstrain or injure (the ankle, knee, etc.) by a sudden, violent twist: When she fell, she wrenched her ankle.

to affect distressingly as if by a wrench.

to wrest, as from the right use or meaning: to wrench the facts out of context.

verb (used without object)

to twist, turn, or move suddenly aside: He wrenched away.

to give a wrench or twist at something.

noun

a wrenching movement; a sudden, violent twist: With a quick wrench, she freed herself.

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

a sharp, distressing strain, as to the feelings.

a twisting or distortion, as of meaning.

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.

Nearby words

wrekin, wren, wren, christopher, wren, sir christopher, wren-tit, wrench, wrens, wrentit, wrest, wrest pin, wrestle

Origin of wrench

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

SYNONYMS FOR wrench

4 distort, twist, warp.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR wrench ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formswrench·er, nounwrench·ing·ly, adverbout·wrench, verb (used with object)un·wrenched, adjective

Can be confusedranch wrench

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for wrench

Hillary Clinton, he argues, throws a wrench into the system.
The Most Annoying Myth in Politics|Jamelle Bouie|February 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now the government of President François Hollande is throwing a wrench into the American rush toward peace with Iran.
Why France Is to Blame for Blocking the Iran Nuclear Agreement|Christopher Dickey|November 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Factories were hiring anyone who could breathe and turn a wrench.
The Federal Government Should Hire the Long-Term Unemployed|Megan McArdle|March 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Should we see David Lee (Zach Grenier) as the wrench in the works at Lockhart & Associates?
‘The Good Wife’: Robert and Michelle King on Alicia, Kalinda, Renewal Prospects, and More|Jace Lacob|March 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Even one minor glitch and the machine could wrench itself out of his control.
Reno’s Reckless Air Tragedy|Clive Irving|September 17, 2011|DAILY BEAST
I'm saying it; Gerard cut him off from getting past, and he pitched a wrench that knocked him out.
From the Car Behind|Eleanor M. Ingram
The wear of the measuring screw and nut is taken up by screwing the bushing A into the frame with the wrench shown in Fig. 37.
Measuring Tools|Unknown
The moment my hand grasped the handle I leapt upon the little step and tried to wrench the door open.
A Master of Mysteries|L. T. Meade
"I am going down stairs, Mr. Desmond," she replied coldly, and trying to wrench her hand away.
Little Golden's Daughter|Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller
The incident revealed what a wrench the hearts and nerves of even the seamen had undergone.
Atlantis|Gerhart Hauptmann

British Dictionary definitions for wrench

wrench

/ (rɛntʃ) /

verb

to give (something) a sudden or violent twist or pull esp so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attachedto wrench a door off its hinges

(tr) to twist suddenly so as to sprain (a limb)to wrench one's ankle

(tr) to give pain to

(tr) to twist from the original meaning or purpose

(intr) to make a sudden twisting motion

noun

a forceful twist or pull

an injury to a limb, caused by twisting

sudden pain caused esp by parting

a parting that is difficult or painful to make

a distorting of the original meaning or purpose

a spanner, esp one with adjustable jawsSee also torque wrench

Word Origin for wrench

Old English wrencan; related to Old High German renken, Lithuanian rangyti to twist. See wrinkle 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for wrench (1 of 2)

wrench

Old English wrencan "to twist," from Proto-Germanic *wrankijanan (cf. Old High German renken, German renken "to twist, wrench," Old English wringan "to wring"), from PIE *wreng- "to turn" (cf. Sanskrit vrnakti "turns, twists," Lithuanian rengtis "to grow crooked, to writhe"), nasalized variant of *werg- "to turn" (cf. Latin vergere "to turn, tend toward"), from root *wer- (3) "to turn, bend" (see versus). Related: Wrenched, wrenching.

Word Origin and History for wrench (1 of 2)

wrench

Old English wrenc "a twisting, artifice, trick;" see wrench (v.). The meaning "tool with jaws for turning" is first recorded 1794.

Idioms and Phrases with wrench

wrench

see throw a monkey wrench.

wrench

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

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wrench

.css-1gxch3{color:#1a1a1a;font-size:18px;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;}verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

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wrench

verb

noun

Word Origin for wrench

Word Origin and History for wrench (1 of 2)

wrench

Word Origin and History for wrench (1 of 2)

wrench

Idioms and Phrases with wrench

wrench

verb (used with object)

British Dictionary definitions for wrench