as in agonizing
intensely or unbearably painful
forced to make the emotionally wrenching decision to place her mother in a nursing home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in twisting
a forceful rotating or pulling motion for the purpose of dislodging something
after a lot of wrenching and tugging, the plumber managed to pull the stubborn pipe free
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in pulling
to move by or as if by a forceful rotation
with one last sharp yank, he wrenched the lid off the bottle of ketchup
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in damaging
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure
wrenched her shoulder by all of that heavy lifting
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in tearing
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
wrenched the post out of the ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of wrenching
Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Dec. 2024
But looking to bounce back from the sting of a gut-wrenching loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, the Lakers (13-11) took care of business, beating the Blazers 107-98 to end their three-game losing streak.
—Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 8 Dec. 2024
Kaveh Akbar pulls these seemingly disparate characters closer together in a wrenching narrative that is both a multi-generational family saga and a portrait of a young man attempting to make sense of life.
—Annabel Gutterman, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024
With the gut-wrenching death scene, a comforting dog, the aging flash-forwards and the Heaven-like ending, did the series finale give anyone else Supernatural series finale vibes?
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 6 Dec. 2024
The company announced several years of delays in constructing its first large-scale commercial plant, leading to a gut-wrenching fall in share price over just a few harrowing trading sessions.
—Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
As a father of a 3 and 6 years old having some hearing issues my self this is heart wrenching and warming at the same time.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024
The Bears suffered another gut-wrenching loss in Week 11, losing to Green Bay at Soldier Field when Cairo Santos’ 46-yard field-goal attempt as time expired got blocked.
—Andrew Seligman and Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024
Advertisement For Jack and Jackie, Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans was emotionally wrenching.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Verb
On Saturday, the franchise had to make another gut-wrenching injury announcement.
—Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Dec. 2024
But looking to bounce back from the sting of a gut-wrenching loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, the Lakers (13-11) took care of business, beating the Blazers 107-98 to end their three-game losing streak.
—Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 8 Dec. 2024
Kaveh Akbar pulls these seemingly disparate characters closer together in a wrenching narrative that is both a multi-generational family saga and a portrait of a young man attempting to make sense of life.
—Annabel Gutterman, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024
With the gut-wrenching death scene, a comforting dog, the aging flash-forwards and the Heaven-like ending, did the series finale give anyone else Supernatural series finale vibes?
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 6 Dec. 2024
The company announced several years of delays in constructing its first large-scale commercial plant, leading to a gut-wrenching fall in share price over just a few harrowing trading sessions.
—Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
As a father of a 3 and 6 years old having some hearing issues my self this is heart wrenching and warming at the same time.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024
The Bears suffered another gut-wrenching loss in Week 11, losing to Green Bay at Soldier Field when Cairo Santos’ 46-yard field-goal attempt as time expired got blocked.
—Andrew Seligman and Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024
Advertisement For Jack and Jackie, Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans was emotionally wrenching.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrenching
Adjective
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But even in the worst cases of lupus, the decline—though agonizing—is much slower.ByJennifer Couzin-Frankel, science.org, 14 Nov. 2024
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For people who were close to Cliff Lambert, the still-unresolved legal saga surrounding his brutal killing more than a decade ago has been agonizing.Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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That is, until Dorothy’s dog, Toto, sniffs out the truth behind a green curtain where the less-than-powerful Oz is pulling levers and blowing smoke.Steve Tengler, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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So, pick one or two of these strategies and start pulling that lever.Kevin Kruse, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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And the harder challenge is that cannabis is itself the tip of an even bigger cultural iceberg tearing through the country.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
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Last month, similar Santa Ana winds helped the Mountain Fire explode in size and send it tearing through neighborhoods, prompting evacuations and school closures.Robert Shackelford, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The two halves of this character combine in a captivating performance for which Goggins was happy to endure a torturous prosthetic.Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 13 June 2024
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According to the political scientist Pierre Englebert, the Congolese government and people lose as much as $4 billion in revenue every year due to state agents’ manipulation of mining contracts and payments, torturous budget practices, and outright theft.Stephen R. Weissman, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2015
Noun
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Across its eight tracks, Knox bares all about the intimate lifecycle of her own seven-year relationship through spellbinding vocals that tug at the heartstrings and polished, R&B-leaning production.Heran Mamo, Billboard, 4 Dec. 2024
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The dog can sniff around and tug at its leash, but the dog walker is the one setting the pace and direction.Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 26 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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None of the series is easy to watch, but the fourth episode — in which the 36-year-old comedian takes a multi-day road trip with his estranged father, Joe — is both excruciating and intensely moving.EW Staff, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
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After suffering four excruciating defeats to begin its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Cal could have been swallowed up by deja vu when Wake Forest fought back to trail just 39-36 midway through the fourth quarter on Friday night.Jeff Faraudo, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
Noun
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But the character’s departure was intended as one of many shocking twists to keep the narrative stakes high, not as a signal of any change in the franchise’s commitment to inclusion.Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
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The third season will dive deeper into the beauty and trials of homegrown love, and new twists will put relationships to the ultimate test.Marc Berman, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Just as Alice is on the verge of ripping Maggie’s heart out of her chest, Nick arrives — having been tipped off by the Alice at the bar.Jordana Comiter, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
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It’s rated for advanced intermediates into experts and designed for front side use and ripping groomers.Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near wrenching
Cite this Entry
“Wrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrenching. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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