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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wrenching
Tim Padgett, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.
—Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
What's going on is absolutely heart-wrenching.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
One particularly wrenching moment in the film made an impression on her stepfather, Kurt Russell.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
Perhaps the most wrenching scene is one in which Anders, seated alone in a busy café, tunes in to ordinary conversations around him.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 22 Jan. 2026
Such is the case in Quiara Alegría Hudes’s wrenching and mordant debut novel, The White Hot, in which 26-year-old April Soto hits her breaking point and walks out on her 10-year-old daughter, Noelle.
—Ruth Madievsky, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
People were calling it tacky, brave, MFA garbage, heart wrenching.
—Sarah Adler
september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Gut wrenching doesn’t begin to describe it.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
It’s based on the dramatic and emotionally wrenching personal life of Southern Gothic author Carson McCullers, a physically frail but powerful novelist, adept at portraying the loneliness and isolation of misfits and outcasts.
—Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
In October 2023, the Central Bucks High School East swim team suffered a gut-wrenching loss when one of their own, 17-year-old Penn State commit Marcus Papanikolaou, died in a car crash.
—Krystle Rich, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Loss, trauma and illness often bring the same wrenching questions of identity and the painful uncertainty of what comes next.
—Keith M. Bellizzi, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
From that point in the novel to its wrenching end, June searches for her baby with the passionate abandon of a first-time mother and the aching hunger of every mother separated from her child.
—Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
In the heart-wrenching Season 2 finale, Morgan and Karadec’s investigation into a poolside death at a Los Angeles hotel resulted in the arrest of Lucia, a guest relations manager who confesses to tipping off and then covering for the conman who murdered a home improvement reality show host.
—Max Gao, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
OpenAI says the world needs to rethink everything from the tax system to the length of the work day in order to prepare for the wrenching changes of superintelligence technology—the point at which AI systems are capable of outperforming the smartest humans.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Ochoa’s snide speech about his privileged private school becomes a wrenching aria of desolation and need.
—Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.
—Tim Padgett, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.
—Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
What's going on is absolutely heart-wrenching.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
One particularly wrenching moment in the film made an impression on her stepfather, Kurt Russell.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
Perhaps the most wrenching scene is one in which Anders, seated alone in a busy café, tunes in to ordinary conversations around him.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
This can feel challenging and heart-wrenching.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 22 Jan. 2026
Such is the case in Quiara Alegría Hudes’s wrenching and mordant debut novel, The White Hot, in which 26-year-old April Soto hits her breaking point and walks out on her 10-year-old daughter, Noelle.
—Ruth Madievsky, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
People were calling it tacky, brave, MFA garbage, heart wrenching.
—Sarah Adler
september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Gut wrenching doesn’t begin to describe it.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
So Rantanen’s somewhat blasé attitude following Saturday’s wrenching Game 4 loss to the Minnesota Wild — losing the lead with barely five minutes to go on Marcus Foligno’s equalizer, then losing the game in overtime on Matt Boldy’s deflection — was at least well earned.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
It’s based on the dramatic and emotionally wrenching personal life of Southern Gothic author Carson McCullers, a physically frail but powerful novelist, adept at portraying the loneliness and isolation of misfits and outcasts.
—Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
In October 2023, the Central Bucks High School East swim team suffered a gut-wrenching loss when one of their own, 17-year-old Penn State commit Marcus Papanikolaou, died in a car crash.
—Krystle Rich, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Loss, trauma and illness often bring the same wrenching questions of identity and the painful uncertainty of what comes next.
—Keith M. Bellizzi, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
From that point in the novel to its wrenching end, June searches for her baby with the passionate abandon of a first-time mother and the aching hunger of every mother separated from her child.
—Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
In the heart-wrenching Season 2 finale, Morgan and Karadec’s investigation into a poolside death at a Los Angeles hotel resulted in the arrest of Lucia, a guest relations manager who confesses to tipping off and then covering for the conman who murdered a home improvement reality show host.
—Max Gao, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
OpenAI says the world needs to rethink everything from the tax system to the length of the work day in order to prepare for the wrenching changes of superintelligence technology—the point at which AI systems are capable of outperforming the smartest humans.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Ochoa’s snide speech about his privileged private school becomes a wrenching aria of desolation and need.
—Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrenching
Adjective
-
The family of Stephen Nolte, a Navy veteran who died at 71 after contracting a bacterial infection following open-heart surgery at The University of Kansas Hospital, testified in Wyandotte County District Court about his life and agonizing decline.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
-
For vegan and vegetarian folks, craving juicy, tender tacos or a melt-in-your-mouth salmon sushi dish can feel agonizing.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
All of which is great news for Adam Silver and everyone else pulling a paycheck from the league.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Seated calf raises can lower post-meal blood sugar spikes by gradually pulling glucose from the bloodstream.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
During a late-night safety test, the power plant’s Number 4 reactor exploded, tearing through the building and sending a column of radioactive material into the sky.—
Benjamin Mack-Jackson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The one that was about ambition and friendship and celebrating women, not tearing them down.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Activists claim the animals were living in torturous conditions and were being used for medical research.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
But sad books need not be torturous books.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, use your thumb and forefinger to grasp the berry at the stem and give it a gentle tug.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Matching net-zero targets The Svitzer Balder is an innovative TRAnsverse tug design.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Having the peace of mind that your top won’t distract you by shifting or tugging makes bodysuits a worthwhile office attire investment.—
Kevin Huynh,
InStyle,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The nylon fabric is structured but not stiff, with enough stretch to handle a scramble without tugging at your knees.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After Correa doubled leading off the first against Tanner Bibee, Alvarez followed by yanking a curveball from the right-hander 422 feet over the wall in right field to give the Astros a 2-0 lead that held up for nine innings.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Supporters in labor unions and in the House soon began yanking their endorsements.—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The process is long and excruciating, said Oceguera, but they’re just left with the essence of pineapple and coconut that’s carbonated a little for lightness on your tongue.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Each actor elevates and pushes the other toward greatness, parrying and thrusting in excruciating exchanges and switching from vulnerability to anger in a matter of seconds.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrenching. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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