Illustration of spanner
- spanner 2
spanner
noun
span·ner ˈspa-nər 
1
chiefly British : wrench
2
: a wrench that has a hole, projection, or hook at one or both ends of the head for engaging with a corresponding device on the object that is to be turned
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web But a spanner is thrown into the works when the special guest before him, Kirsten Dunst, tells a story that involves the same highlights. 
Amel Mukhtar, Vogue, 2 Aug. 2022 The spanner in the works turns out to be Joy (Colman), drunk and woozy on the back seat of the cab, with a weeks-old infant in tow. Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 July 2022 Covid-19 threw a spanner in the works but loyal fans, most of them fully vaccinated, have been itching to get back into theatres. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2022 News of the Omicron variant, which has an unusually high number of mutations, will certainly throw a spanner in the works for the Biden administration as the President struggles with flagging approval ratings and a pessimistic view of the economy. Julian Zelizer, CNN, 26 Nov. 2021 On Wednesday evening in Doha, Al-Sadd threw a spanner in the works with a blunt statement. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2021 That may be the first bloc that Scholz hopes to assemble, but significant ideological differences could throw a spanner in the works. Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2021 There's only one spanner in the works -- one bridge near the Fenice, the Ponte Vecia Malvasia, will not have a ramp in this first round of construction. Julia Buckley, CNN, 17 Aug. 2021 However, there is a factor that throws a spanner in the works. David Balaban, Forbes, 11 June 2021 See More
Amel Mukhtar, Vogue, 2 Aug. 2022 The spanner in the works turns out to be Joy (Colman), drunk and woozy on the back seat of the cab, with a weeks-old infant in tow. Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 July 2022 Covid-19 threw a spanner in the works but loyal fans, most of them fully vaccinated, have been itching to get back into theatres. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2022 News of the Omicron variant, which has an unusually high number of mutations, will certainly throw a spanner in the works for the Biden administration as the President struggles with flagging approval ratings and a pessimistic view of the economy. Julian Zelizer, CNN, 26 Nov. 2021 On Wednesday evening in Doha, Al-Sadd threw a spanner in the works with a blunt statement. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2021 That may be the first bloc that Scholz hopes to assemble, but significant ideological differences could throw a spanner in the works. Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2021 There's only one spanner in the works -- one bridge near the Fenice, the Ponte Vecia Malvasia, will not have a ramp in this first round of construction. Julia Buckley, CNN, 17 Aug. 2021 However, there is a factor that throws a spanner in the works. David Balaban, Forbes, 11 June 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
German, instrument for winding springs, from spannen to stretch; akin to Middle Dutch spannen to stretch — more at span
First Known Use
circa 1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1