wreak havoc

idiom

: to cause great damage
A powerful tornado wreaked havoc on the small village.
The virus wreaked havoc on my computer.

Examples of wreak havoc in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These winds could wreak havoc on air travel, especially with hubs in Chicago and the New York City area impacted. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025 The organization also canceled this year’s Oscars nominees luncheon and pushed the separate Scientific and Technical Awards event to April 29 after the massive, deadly blazes wreaked havoc on the city. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Mar. 2025 Kyle Orland – 12:00 PM | 137 Federal firings could wreak havoc on Great Lakes fishery Populations of sea lampreys likely to run amok with US Fish and Wildlife Service cuts. Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 1 Mar. 2025 Beryl wreaked havoc in Grenada and the southern Windward Islands, destroying as much as 98% of the infrastructure on the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, causing more than $430 million in damages. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wreak havoc

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wreak havoc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wreak%20havoc. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!