monkey wrench

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But now two men on the federal death row in Terre Haute, Indiana have thrown a monkey wrench into Biden’s decision.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2025

“The last thing that a booming economy needs is to throw a monkey wrench into a system that we have that is working marvelously well.”

From Seattle Times • Jul. 12, 2023

“You’ve thrown a monkey wrench into your campaign.”

From Washington Post • Oct. 8, 2022

Warhol was a hugely successful commercial artist — and quite rich from it, earning up to an inflation-adjusted $500,000 a year— before he threw a well-placed monkey wrench into a haughty and exclusionary art world.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2022

While everyone else was working to smooth the path toward integration, he could be the monkey wrench thrown into the works to slow the process down.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson