monkeywrench
monkeywrench Lexical Profile
monkeywrench Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American Something that completely disrupts, sabotages, or halts a plan, process, or operation.
"The sudden departure of the lead architect threw a monkeywrench into the project's timeline."
North American A type of adjustable wrench with flat, parallel jaws that can be widened or narrowed by turning a screw mechanism in the handle.
"He grabbed a heavy monkeywrench from his toolbox to tighten the massive bolts on the industrial pipe."
• verb
North American To sabotage, disrupt, or deliberately interfere with a system, plan, or piece of machinery.
"Environmental activists attempted to monkeywrench the illegal logging operation by damaging the construction equipment."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British English, the physical tool is typically called an adjustable spanner, and the corresponding idiom for sabotage is 'to throw a spanner in the works'.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Originated in the mid-19th century in the United States. The term likely combines 'monkey' (used to denote a specialized or gripping tool) and 'wrench'. The verb sense stems from the early 20th-century idiom 'to throw a monkey wrench in the works', meaning to sabotage.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.