monkey wrench
nounDefinition of monkey wrench
1
: a wrench with one fixed and one adjustable jaw at right angles to a straight handle
2
: something that disrupts
threw a monkey wrench into the peace negotiations
Illustration of monkey wrench
monkey wrench 1
Examples of monkey wrench in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Serious bummer that the dramatic change of course in your friend’s love life has thrown a monkey wrench in your occasional double-date-night routine. — Author: Wayne And Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, "Her divorce isn’t even final, but my friend is already jumping into online dating," 24 Aug. 2019 But the tape really threw a monkey wrench into things. — Barbara Bradley Hagerty, The Atlantic, "The Campus Rapist Hiding in Plain Sight," 15 July 2019 This week, Roy lobbed a procedural monkey wrench into a series of spending votes, contributing to a 4:01 a.m. adjournment on Thursday and embellishing his profile as a politician unafraid to poke his finger in the eye of the institution. — Bill Lambrecht, ExpressNews.com, "Texas Rep. Chip Roy again pushes House into OT, irking the ‘swamp creatures’," 14 June 2019 The ban, apparently to encourage regime change, has thrown another in a series of monkey wrenches at efforts to soften relations with Cuba. — Rubén Rosario, Twin Cities, "Rosario: Cuba travel change is another whiff at the plate, according to some locals in the know," 13 June 2019 Some new development like photosynthesis, some new surprise like an asteroid or a belch of volcanic carbon, throws a monkey wrench into the world order. — Robert M. Thorson, WSJ, "‘Timefulness’ Review: Thinking in Eons," 30 Dec. 2018 His trade demand, however, appears to have thrown a monkey wrench into extension talks. — Jeff Mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, "With Leonard in limbo, Spurs may face franchise-shaping draft night," 20 June 2018 If the intent of the perpetrators is to throw a monkey wrench in U.S. foreign policy and get away with it, so far that mission has been accomplished. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Is Still Clueless About the Creepy 'Sonic' Attacks in China and Cuba," 7 June 2018 Prepare for your birth plan to get a monkey wrench thrown in it. — Jessica Delfino, SELF, "9 Incredible C-Section Stories—and the Scars That Go With Them," 23 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'monkey wrench.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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