wreaking

verb

present participle of wreak
as in inflicting
to cause to suffer punishment or vengeance for wreaked their vengeance on those they considered enemies

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wreaking Developing new drugs for havoc-wreaking diseases costs the kind of cash many countries don’t have. — Chris Stokel-Walker, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 In the film, Hathaway reprises her role as Andy Sachs, a successful newspaper journalist who, along with her colleagues, is fired en masse as part of the havoc digital media is wreaking on the print industry. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026 Small parts and fragments of material clog up your dishwasher, wreaking havoc in their wake. — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 9 July 2026 Robert Eggers is once again wreaking Gothic period havoc upon theaters this coming Christmas. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 June 2026 For example, porch lights left on in large numbers can disrupt birds' natural migratory paths, wreaking havoc on wildlife. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 26 June 2026 And Caglianone wasn’t done wreaking havoc at the plate. — Kansas City Star, 24 June 2026 The View From Quasi-Retirement AI has already been wreaking havoc on the Cannes Lions awards themselves. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 22 June 2026 As almost everyone else in Widow’s Bay takes shelter from a storm that’s wreaking havoc and even sucking some residents into the sky, Tom goes to Ruth’s house and weighs a terrible moral dilemma. — Alison Herman, Variety, 17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreaking
  1. inflicting
  2. imposing
  3. putting
Verb
  • That might be the best shot society has at preventing AI from inflicting serious harm, according to some industry experts.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Indeed, inflicting hardship on the population seems especially unlikely to change the calculus of the Iranian regime, given its willingness to kill thousands of protestors to stay in power.
    — Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of inflicting
Verb
  • The measure works largely by imposing deadlines on state agencies and courts to issue decisions quickly.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Ukraine has accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of imposing new restrictions on its military-grade Starlink internet service without warning, disrupting Ukrainian military operations.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of imposing
Verb
  • On Friday, that thought process took another gigantic step, as those in charge of putting a product on television have all but signed the official paperwork to once again expand the college football playoff.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • But the Broncos aren’t just about putting the ball in the back of the net — their defense has allowed just six goals all season and is led by near-impenetrable sophomore goalkeeper Ava de Leest.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of putting

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Cite this Entry

“Wreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreaking. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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