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wreak definition

wreak (rēk)

transitive verb

  1. to give vent or free play to (one's anger, malice, rage, etc.)
  2. to inflict (vengeance), cause (harm or havoc), etc.
  3. Archaic to avenge

Etymology: ME wreken < OE wrecan, to revenge, punish, akin to Ger rächen, Goth wrikan < IE base *wreg-, to shove, oppress, hunt down, L urgere, to press, urge

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

wreak Usage Examples

Object

  • havoc: You can wreak havoc from above easily enough, with your large array of weaponry.

Preposition: on

  • people: And the Vatican has apologized for the havoc that the Crusades wreaked on the people of the Middle East.

Preposition: as

  • havoc: They know, as do we, that a few lines of code could ultimately wreak as much havoc as a handful of bombs.

Preposition: by

  • change: The United Nations has estimated that the havoc wreaked by climate change could create up to 50 million refugees.

Modifying Another Word

  • again: But after a short rain break the spinning fingers of Robin Fisher again wreaked havoc.
wreak usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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"wreak." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/wreak>

APA Style

wreak. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/wreak

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