wrench

/rɛntʃ/

/rɛntʃ/

Other forms: wrenched; wrenching; wrenches

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.

Definitions of wrench

1. noun

   a sharp strain on muscles or ligaments
   “the wrench to his knee occurred as he fell”

   synonyms: pull, twist

   types:

   sprain

   a painful injury to a joint caused by a sudden wrenching of its ligaments

   type of:

   harm, hurt, injury, trauma

   any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
2. noun

   a jerky pulling movement
   synonyms: twist

   type of:

   motion, movement

   a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something
3. noun

   a hand tool that is used to hold or twist a nut or bolt
   synonyms: spanner

   types:

   adjustable spanner, adjustable wrench

   can be changed to different settings

   Allen wrench

   a wrench for Allen screws

   alligator wrench

   a wrench with a v-shaped jaw and serrations on one side (resembles the open jaws of an alligator)

   box end wrench, box wrench

   a wrench with a closed loop (a socket) that fits over a nut or bolt head

   brace wrench

   a wrench shaped like a brace (has a handle shaped like a crank) and a socket head

   bulldog wrench

   a wrench designed to provide a firm grip on something

   carriage wrench

   a wrench designed for use with carriage bolts

   dog wrench

   a wrench with a handle shaped like a crank

   hook spanner, hook wrench

   a wrench with a hook that fits over a nut or bolt head

   lug wrench

   a wrench with jaws that have projecting lugs to engage the object that is to be rotated

   open-end wrench, tappet wrench

   a wrench having parallel jaws at fixed separation (often on both ends of the handle)

   pin wrench

   a wrench that has a projecting pin that fits into a socket on the object to be turned

   screw key

   a wrench for turning a screw

   socket wrench

   a wrench with a handle onto which sockets of different sizes can be fitted

   sparkplug wrench

   a wrench for removing or tightening spark plugs into the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine

   tap wrench

   a wrench for turning a tap to create an internal screw thread

   torque wrench

   a wrench that has a gauge that indicates the amount of torque being applied

   crescent wrench

   an adjustable wrench designed to fit hexagonal nuts with the adjusting screw built into the head of the wrench

   monkey wrench, monkey-wrench

   adjustable wrench that has one fixed and one adjustable jaw

   pipe wrench, tube wrench

   adjustable wrench for gripping and turning a pipe; has two serrated jaws that are adjusted to grip the pipe

   screw wrench

   adjustable wrench that has one jaw that can be adjusted by turning a screw

   S wrench

   a wrench with an S-shaped handle

   type of:

   hand tool

   a tool used with workers' hands
4. 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”

   “wrench oneself free from somebody's grip”

   “a deep sigh was wrenched from his chest”

   synonyms: twist

   type of:

   pull

   apply force so as to cause motion towards the source of the motion
5. verb

   make a sudden twisting motion
   type of:

   squirm, twist, worm, wrestle, wriggle, writhe

   move in a twisting or contorted motion (especially when struggling)
6. verb

   twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish
   synonyms: wring

   contort, deform, distort, wring

   twist and press out of shape

   type of:

   distort, twine, twist

   form into a spiral shape
7. verb

   twist suddenly so as to sprain
   “wrench one's ankle”

   synonyms: rick, sprain, turn, twist, wrick

   type of:

   injure, wound

   cause injuries or bodily harm to