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Glite Dictionary
to throw a wrench in

to throw a wrench in

2 8.0
Cause a problem that stops a plan or activity
  • idiom
  • US
translation icon : echar una monkey wrench en
  • Her sudden resignation has thrown a wrench in the team's progress on the project.
  • throw a wrench in the works
  • throw a wrench in your plan
  • throw a wrench in the gears

And so I'm in Panama working and I had just met my wife two weeks prior to going to Panama, kind of threw a wrench in things.

Examples

  • Lacey's death threw a wrench in his well-laid plans.

    Blog text (19)

  • A small, pale, nervous woman has thrown a wrench in the works.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • But like, not, you know, that would throw a wrench in our plans.

  • Way to throw a wrench in the program!

    All at Once (2016)

  • What I really wanna know is, what can I do to throw a wrench in these plans?

    Blog text (6)

  • The first 10 weeks of 2012, however, have thrown a wrench in the previous thinking.

    Blog text (24)

  • That obviously throws a wrench in the entire message of the gospel.

    Blog text (3)

  • He had a regimented schedule to finish all of it by the end of the day, and this had effectively thrown a wrench in his routine.

    Blog text (14)

  • On the other hand, if they're making an 'emergency' lane change across three lanes of backed up traffic in rush hour, then that's going to throw a wrench in everything.

    Blog text (15)

  • The unexpected storm really threw a wrench in our plans for the outdoor event.

Synonyms

to disrupt
vsto throw a wrench in
269 4.4

To interrupt normal activity and cause disorder

is about causing a problem for a plan or process rather than general progress
to derail
vsto throw a wrench in
64 4.6

Make a plan or project fail

may cause a problem without causing total failure
to turn (something) upside down
vsto throw a wrench in
  • Informal
51 4.5

Cause a big sudden change that leaves people confused

means a disruption but usually less dramatic or sweeping
to throw a monkey wrench into the works
vsto throw a wrench in
  • Informal
1 8.6

Cause problems on purpose that stop a plan or process from working smoothly

can happen without deliberate intent rather than being done on purpose
to put a spanner in
vsto throw a wrench in
  • UK
8.6

To cause a plan to fail or have big problems

is identical in meaning but differs in wording or idiom form
to overset someone's plans
vsto throw a wrench in
7.7

To ruin someone's plans by making them fail or change suddenly

applies to any plan or process rather than only personal plans
to stick its dick in
vsto throw a wrench in
  • Offensive
9.9

To become involved in a messy situation and make it worse

is about causing a disruption rather than merely interfering or joining in

Antonyms

to support
∞ 1.0

Give help to a person or idea

to facilitate
  • Formal
187 4.9

To make a task or process easier and help it happen

How Disruptive

to sabotage
164 7.1
to derail
64 4.6
to throw a wrench in
  • US
2 8.0
to delay
562 1.4

Surface Forms

throw a wrench in infinitive
throwing a wrench in present participle
throws a wrench in third person singular
threw a wrench in past
thrown a wrench in past participle

Morphology

throw + a + wrench + in

The phrase evokes the concrete image of placing a wrench into machinery, which suggests obstruction, so a learner who knows 'throw', 'wrench' and 'in' can often infer a disruptive effect. However, the transfer from that literal image to the abstract meaning 'cause a disruption to a plan/process' is metaphorical and idiomatic (often realized as 'throw a wrench into the works'), so the exact sense is not fully predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

The idiom throw a wrench in comes from the image of someone throwing a wrench into the moving parts of a machine, making the machine jam. So, the phrase means 'to cause a problem' that stops a plan or process.