Idiom
monkey wrench
Meaning
To introduce problems, to create unexpected trouble, to sabotage.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“His sudden change of plans threw a monkey wrench into our day.”
“The new government regulations threw a monkey wrench into our project, forcing us to delay the launch by several months.”
“The unexpected resignation of the lead architect threw a significant monkey wrench into the construction timeline, leaving the entire development team scrambling for a solution.”
Examples
simple
“His sudden change of plans threw a monkey wrench into our day.”
contextual
“The new government regulations threw a monkey wrench into our project, forcing us to delay the launch by several months.”
complex
“The unexpected resignation of the lead architect threw a significant monkey wrench into the construction timeline, leaving the entire development team scrambling for a solution.”
Origin
Already in use, and not unfamiliar among mechanics, by 1832; see discussion and references at Monkey wrench § Etymology and history.
Key words
Related idioms
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