wrench
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A movement that twists or pulls violently.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
rehnchIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɹɛntʃ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A movement that twists or pulls violently; a tug.
An injury caused by a violent twisting or pulling of a limb; strain, sprain.
A distorting change from the original meaning.
A violent emotional change caused by separation.
In coursing, the act of bringing the hare round at less than a right angle, worth half a point in the recognised code of points for judging.
uscanadaphilippines
A hand tool for making rotational adjustments, such as fitting nuts and bolts, or fitting pipes.
verb
Twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached or from where it originates
“Wrench a window off its hinges.”
transitive
To injure (a joint) by pulling or twisting.
transitive
To distort the original meaning of; to misrepresent.
Twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish
transitive
To rack with pain; to make hurt or distressed.
transitive
To deprive by means of a violent pull or twist.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A movement that twists or pulls violently; a tug.
Used this way, wrench is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It comes across as direct, sometimes bluntly so.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Gentle
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Blunt and forceful
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use wrench
- “The wrench to his knee occurred as he fell.”noun
- “Wrench a window off its hinges.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A wrench for Allen screws.
A wrench with a v-shaped jaw and serrations on one side (resembles the open jaws of an alligator).
A wrench with a closed loop (a socket) that fits over a nut or bolt head.
A wrench with a closed loop (a socket) that fits over a nut or bolt head.
A wrench shaped like a brace (has a handle shaped like a crank) and a socket head.
A wrench designed to provide a firm grip on something.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “wrench” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary from meanings, examples and other prompts.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.