wrench

wrench
[[t]re̱ntʃ[/t]]
wrenches, wrenching, wrenched
1) VERB If you wrench something that is fixed in a particular position, you pull or twist it violently, in order to move or remove it.

[V n prep] He felt two men wrench the suitcase from his hand...

[V n with adv] He wrenched off his sneakers...

[V n with adj] They wrenched open the passenger doors and jumped into her car.

2) VERB If you wrench yourself free from someone who is holding you, you get away from them by suddenly twisting the part of your body that is being held.

[V pron-refl prep] She wrenched herself from his grasp...

[V n adj] He wrenched his arm free...

[V adj] She tore at one man's face as she tried to wrench free...

[V n adv] I wrenched my hand away from my attacker.

Syn:
3) VERB If you wrench one of your joints, you twist it and injure it.

[V n] He had wrenched his ankle badly from the force of the fall.

4) N-SING: usu a N to-inf/-ing If you say that leaving someone or something is a wrench, you feel very sad about it. [BRIT]

I always knew it would be a wrench to leave Essex after all these years...

Many of the things are of great sentimental value and it is going to be a wrench parting with them...

Although it would be a wrench, we would all accept the challenge of moving abroad.

5) N-COUNT A wrench or monkey wrench is an adjustable metal tool used for tightening or loosening metal nuts of different sizes.
Syn:
adjustable spanner
6) PHRASE: V inflects, PHR in/into n If someone throws a wrench or throws a monkey wrench into a process, they prevent something happening smoothly by deliberately causing a problem. [AM]

Their delegation threw a giant monkey wrench into the process this week by raising all sorts of petty objections.

(in BRIT, use throw a spanner in the works)

English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Wrench — (r[e^]nch), n. [OE. wrench deceit, AS. wrenc deceit, a twisting; akin to G. rank intrigue, crookedness, renken to bend, twist, and E. wring. [root]144. See {Wring}, and cf. {Ranch}, v. t.] [1913 Webster] 1. Trick; deceit; fraud; stratagem. [Obs.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wrench — Wrench, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wrenched}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wrenching}.] [OE. wrenchen, AS. wrencan to deceive, properly, to twist, from wrenc guile, deceit, a twisting. ????. See {Wrench}, n.] [1913 Webster] 1. To pull with a twist; to wrest, twist …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wrench — vb Wrench, wrest, wring can all basically mean to turn or twist forcibly, but they tend to vary widely in the implied purpose or result of the action. Wrench denotes a twisting or turning with considerable force, often with an abrupt tug or yank …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • wrench — rench vt to injure or disable by a violent twisting or straining <slipped and wrenched her back> wrench n a sharp twist or sudden jerk straining muscles or ligaments also the resultant injury (as of a joint) …   Medical dictionary

  • wrench — [rench] n. [ME < OE wrenc, a trick, deceit; akin to Ger ränke, a bend, twist < IE * wreng < base * wer , to twist, turn > WORM] 1. a sudden, sharp twist or pull 2. an injury caused by a twist or jerk, as to the back, a joint, etc. 3.… …   English World dictionary

  • wrench — index contort, deprive, distort, exact, force (break), luxate, sever Burton s Legal Thesaurus. Will …   Law dictionary

  • wrench — [v] jerk, force violently bend, coerce, compel, contort, dislocate, dislodge, distort, drag, exact, extract, pervert, pinch, pull, rend, rip, screw, sprain, squeeze, strain, tear, tug, tweak, twist, wrest, wring, yank; concept 80 …   New thesaurus

  • wrench — ► VERB 1) pull or twist suddenly and violently. 2) injure (a part of the body) as a result of a sudden twisting movement. ► NOUN 1) a sudden violent twist or pull. 2) a feeling of abrupt pain and distress caused by one s own or another s… …   English terms dictionary

  • Wrench — For other uses, see Wrench (disambiguation). A set of chrome vanadium metric wrenches, open at one end, box/ring at the other. This type is commonly known as a combination wrench. A wrench or spanner is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical… …   Wikipedia

  • wrench — [1] A device for removing nuts, bolts, and other fasteners. [2] A colloquial term for a mechanic or someone who is handy repairing engines. [3] To use a wrench tool. See adjustable wrench Allen wrench box wrench brake adjusting wrench brake… …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • wrench — wrencher, n. wrenchingly, adv. /rench/, v.t. 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… …   Universalium

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