noun
wrench
REHNCH
noun
1
US: a hand tool used to grip and turn nuts, bolts, or pipes; called a spanner in British English.
"He grabbed a wrench from the toolbox to tighten the bolt."
2
A sudden painful twist or pull, often figurative, describing an emotional wrench of separation.
"Leaving her childhood home was an emotional wrench."
verb
1
To pull or twist something suddenly and violently.
"She wrenched the door open before it could lock again."
"He wrenched his knee jumping off the wall."
How to Use Wrench
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the tool for turning bolts, or a sudden violent twist (literal or emotional).
UK vs US
Americans say "wrench" for the tool; British English usually says "spanner".
Easily confused with
Word Forms
wrenched past tense, wrenches plural, Wrenches plural, wrenches singular
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He grabbed a _____ from the toolbox to tighten the bolt.