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In its early days, wreak was synonymous with avenge, a meaning exemplified when Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus proclaims "We will solicit heaven, and move the gods / To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs." This sense is now archaic, but the association hasn't been lost: although wreak is today most often paired with havoc, it is also still sometimes paired with vengeance. We humbly suggest you avoid wreaking either, no matter how badly you may crave your just deserts.
Examples of wreak in a Sentence
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 27 June 2024
That phenomenon goes a long way toward explaining why COVID wreaked such devastation in New York City, one of the most financially unequal cities in the country, before the city government applied the brute-force tool of lockdown and regained control.
—Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2020
This weekend, Governors Ball returned to Flushing Meadows Corona Park to wreak further havoc (complimentary — mostly) on an already busy 2024 for pop.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 10 June 2024
Such challenges are exacerbated by crossover networks that can wreak all kinds of sonic havoc if not correctly implemented.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for wreak 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wreak.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Wreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wreak. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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wreak
verb
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