gut-wrenching

Agonizing; extremely distressing, unpleasant, or emotionally disturbing; having a severe effect on one's feelings. What a gut-wrenching loss for the young athlete, who poured her heart and soul into this match. Kids today are so desensitized that images of violence their grandparents would have found gut-wrenching now barely even register a response. I'm not even that guy's biggest fan, but it's gut-wrenching to watch anyone suffer a season-ending injury.

left-handed monkey wrench

A fictional tool, typically used to trick someone who is new to a field or industry. If you want to mess with the new kid, ask him to go get you a left-handed monkey wrench, then watch him scour the truck for the next hour looking for one.

monkey wrench

1. A type of wrench that has adjustable jaws. Pass me that monkey wrench, will you? I need to get a hold of this nut here.

2. Something that causes problems or disruptions. Ellen's flight getting delayed really threw a monkey wrench into our plans for the day. This rain has sure put a monkey wrench into our pool party!

put a (monkey) wrench in(to) the works

To disrupt, foil, or cause problems to a plan, activity, or project. Primarily heard in US. We had everything in line for the party, but having the caterer cancel on us at the last minute really threw a wrench in the works! It'll really put a monkey wrench into the works if the board decides not to increase our funding for this project.

put a wrench in(to) (something)

To disrupt, foil, or cause problems to a plan, activity, or project. We had everything in line for the party, but having the caterer cancel on us at the last minute really put a wrench in things! It'll really put a wrench into our plans if the board decides not to increase our funding for this project.

throw a (monkey) wrench in(to) the works

To disrupt, foil, or cause problems to a plan, activity, or project. We had everything in line for the party, but having the caterer cancel on us at the last minute really threw a wrench in the works! It'll really throw a monkey wrench into the works if the board decides not to increase our funding for this project.

throw a monkey wrench in(to) (something)

To disrupt, foil, or cause problems to a plan, activity, or project. Primarily heard in US. We had everything in line for the party, but having the caterer cancel on us at the last minute really threw a monkey wrench into our plans! It'll really throw a monkey wrench in the works if the board decides not to increase our funding for this project.

wrench (someone or something) (away) from (someone or something)

1. To take someone or something away from someone or something by pulling in a violent, wrenching manner. The man has been hailed as a hero for wrenching the gun away from the shooter before anyone was harmed. The officers wrenched my son from me before I had the chance to run.

2. To manage to obtain control or possession of something through some battle, struggle, or conflict with someone or something else. The rebels wrenched power from the dictatorship after five years of war. The political party finally managed to wrench control of congress away from their opponents for the first time in 10 years. You'll have to wrench the kids away from me in the courts.

3. To obtain or extract something, such as information, from someone or something, especially after much difficulty or persistence. We were finally able to wrench some answers from the spy we were interrogating. I've never been able to wrench any meaning away from abstract paintings—they always look just like splatters of paint to me.

wrench (someone or something) out of (someone or something)

1. To remove or take away someone or something from something or some place with a great twisting force. He wrenched the gun out of the attacker's hands. I managed to wrench the iron bar out of the cement before it had set completely.

2. To remove or take away someone or something from some place with violence, intimidation, or force. Often used in passive constructions. The children were wrenched out of their homes by Child Protective Services. The rebels have sworn to wrench power out of the hands of the autocrats ruling the country.

3. To cause someone to be suddenly removed from some state or condition. Often used in passive constructions. The loud noise wrenched me out of my slumber. She was wrenched out of her daydream by the school bell.

4. To obtain or extract something, such as information, from someone or something, especially after much difficulty or persistence. We were finally able to wrench some answers out of the spy we were interrogating. I've been going to counseling in an effort to wrench some meaning out of this tragic situation.

wrench off

To take someone or something away from someone or something by pulling or prying in a violent, wrenching manner. A noun or pronoun can be used between "wrench" and "off." He walked over to the headstone and wrenched off the medallion that had been embedded in the marble. The man has been hailed as a hero for wrenching the gun off of the shooter before anyone was harmed. The officers wrenched my son off me before I had the chance to run.

wrench out

1. To remove or take away someone or something by pulling or prying in a violent, wrenching manner. A noun or pronoun is used between "wrench" and "out." He wrenched the gun out of the attacker's hands. Tom raced over and wrenched the child out of the road before she got hit by a car. He reached into the machine and wrenched out the cables supplying power to the motherboard.

2. To obtain or extract something, such as information, from someone or something, especially after much difficulty or persistence. A noun or pronoun can be used between "wrench" and "out." We were finally able to wrench some answers out of the spy we were interrogating. I've never been able to wrench any meaning out of abstract paintings—they always look just like splatters of paint to me. I wrenched out a confession from Tommy after threatening to take his video games away for a year.

throw a monkey wrench in the works

Fig. to cause problems for someone's plans. I don't want to throw a monkey wrench in the works, but have you checked your plans with a lawyer? When John suddenly refused to help us, he really threw a monkey wrench in the works.

wrench something from someone

to grab or twist something out of someone's grasp. The policeman wrenched the gun from Lefty's hand and called for his partner. Max wrenched the wallet from Jed's hand and fled with it.

wrench something off (of) someone or something

and wrench something off

to yank or twist something off someone or something. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) He wrenched the shoes off the sleeping man and ran away. He wrenched off the catsup bottle cap.

wrench something out of something

to yank or twist something out of something. The policeman wrenched the gun out of Lefty's hand and told Lefty to put his hands up. Tom wrenched the bone out of the dog's mouth and threw it away.

throw a monkey wrench into

Sabotage or frustrate a project or plans, as in The boss threw a monkey wrench into our plans when he said we'd have to work Saturday. This transfer of industrial sabotage-that is, throwing a tool inside machinery-to other subjects dates from the early 1900s.

throw a wrench into the works

throw a monkey wrench into the works

AMERICAN

If someone or something throws a wrench into the works or throws a monkey wrench into the works, they cause problems which prevent something from happening in the way that was planned. Of course they may not sign the agreement by the sixteenth and that would throw a monkey wrench into the works. Note: Instead of saying the works, people often describe the situation in which the problem is caused. Most health-related problems, of course, are not life-threatening, but they can throw a wrench into an otherwise pleasant holiday. The US delegation threw a giant monkey wrench into the process this week by raising all sorts of petty objections. Note: The usual British expression is throw a spanner in the works.

left-handed monkey wrench

n. a nonexistent tool. (see also sky hook.) Hand me the left-handed monkey wrench, huh?

wrench

n. a mechanic. (Possibly from Mr. Goodwrench.) I gotta get my ride in and have a wrench look at the serpentine.

monkey wrench in the works, put/throw a

Sabotage an operation or plan. The monkey wrench, called an “adjustable spanner” in Britain, appears to have reminded someone of a monkey’s jaws, which loosely resemble the sliding jaws of this very useful tool. This name was acquired about the middle of the nineteenth century. It was not until the early twentieth century that it became associated with sabotage. This suggestion first appeared in print in 1920 in Philander Johnson’s story, Shooting Stars: “Don’t throw a monkey-wrench into the machinery!” The locution not only caught on in America but was adopted in Britain as well, although in the form of throw a spanner in the works.