verb phrase🎓 English idiom
throw a wrench in the works
to disrupt a plan
What it means
To do something that disrupts a plan or process and stops it from working smoothly. It describes an unexpected obstacle that spoils or delays an effort.
Words like “throw a wrench in the works” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.
Examples
- The sudden strike threw a wrench in the works of our launch plans.
- His resignation really threw a wrench in the works this week.
- Bad weather threw a wrench in the works of the outdoor wedding.
- A last-minute budget cut threw a wrench in the works of the project.
Where it comes from
The phrase imagines a wrench dropped into machinery, jamming the gears; the American 'wrench' version grew from the older British form 'throw a spanner in the works' in the early 1900s.
Related idioms
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