wreak

verb

wreaked; wreaking; wreaks

transitive verb

1
: bring about, cause
wreak havoc
2
a
: to cause the infliction of (vengeance or punishment)
b
archaic : avenge
3
: to give free play or course to (malevolent feeling)

Did you know?

In its early days, wreak was synonymous with avenge, a meaning exemplified when Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus proclaims "We will solicit heaven, and move the gods / To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs." This sense is now archaic, but the association hasn't been lost: although wreak is today most often paired with havoc, it is also still sometimes paired with vengeance. We humbly suggest you avoid wreaking either, no matter how badly you may crave your just deserts.

Examples of wreak in a Sentence

Gangs have been wreaking mayhem in the city.
Recent Examples on the Web The havoc wreaked by crashes is made all the more devastating as SUVs become the new standard for patrol vehicles. USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2024 Iranian leaders may see acquiring nuclear weapons as a way to gain newfound assurance that it won’t be attacked by Israel or the United States—freeing the axis of resistance to wreak far more havoc. Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 25 Jan. 2024 In the more likely scenario, global computing power would effectively be capped for a prolonged period, wreaking profound economic and political damage. Andrew S. Erickson, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2024 The wastewater treatment plant on Virginia Key has long been a poster child for the havoc sea level rise could wreak on Miami-Dade County’s basic functions. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2024 The lava posed no threat to human life but could still wreak damage on the town, said Icelandic President Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson. Leo Sands, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024 But more than ever before, season 4 showed the havoc and suffering that the characters' flaws, insecurities, and family squabbles could wreak not just on the people in their immediate vicinity but entire nations of human beings. Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2023 Heavy rainfall early Monday clogged the morning commute in Los Angeles County, with some localized and urban flooding, but the rainstorm is threatening to wreak more havoc across the region. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024 Tejasvi arrived home around 1 a.m. Tuesday, worried that the nation and its transportation systems are unprepared for the extreme weather events headed their way with climate change, given the havoc a single snowstorm seemed to be wreaking on the region. Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wreak.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wreken "to drive out, avenge, vent, express (anger, etc.)," going back to Old English wrecan "to press forward, drive out, banish, avenge, punish," going back to Germanic *wrekan- "to drive out, pursue" (whence Old Saxon wrekan "to avenge," Old High German rehhan, Old Norse reka "to drive, thrust, take vengeance," Gothic wrikan "to persecute"), of uncertain origin

Note: Placed by some under Indo-European *u̯reg- "follow a track" (whence, allegedly, Sanskrit vrajant- "wandering," Latin urgēre "to press, weigh down"), though the semantic relations between compared forms are not close.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Time Traveler
The first known use of wreak was before the 12th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near wreak

Cite this Entry

“Wreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wreak. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wreak

verb
: to bring down in or as if in punishment
wreak revenge on the enemy
the storm wreaked destruction

More from Merriam-Webster on wreak

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!