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.
- usage: "wrench a window off its hinges"; "wrench oneself free from somebody's grip"; "a deep sigh was wrenched from his chest"
- Make a sudden twisting motion.
- synonyms: wrench
- Twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish.
- usage: "Wring one's hand"
- Twist suddenly so as to sprain.
- usage: "wrench one's ankle"; "The wrestler twisted his shoulder"; "the hikers sprained their ankles when they fell"; "I turned my ankle and couldn't walk for several days"
adjective
- Causing great physical or mental suffering.
- usage: "a wrenching pain"
- synonyms: racking
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). wrenching. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/wrenching/definitions/1188475 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "wrenching" http://smartdefine.org/wrenching/definitions/1188475 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, wrenching, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/wrenching/definitions/1188475>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "wrenching" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/wrenching/definitions/1188475> |