What does “wreak” mean?

wreak


Oh, this is a good one —

"Wreak" means to cause something bad to happen, usually something really destructive or powerful. You don't wreak good things — only bad ones!

The most common phrase you'll hear is "wreak havoc," which means to cause a lot of damage or chaos. Like, "The storm wreaked havoc on the whole city" — everything got destroyed and messed up. Or imagine a little kid running through a house: "He wreaked havoc at the party!" You could also say "wreak damage" or "wreak destruction," but "wreak havoc" is by far the most natural combo.

One thing to watch — people sometimes mix it up with "wreck," but they're different. "Wreak" means to cause the damage, while "wreck" means to be the damaged thing.

Basically, "wreak" = to bring something terrible upon someone or something.

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