wreak

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 25, 2025 is: wreak \REEK\ verb Wreak means “to cause something very harmful or damaging.” It is often used with on or upon. // The virus wreaked havoc on my laptop. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wreak) Examples: “Ours is a geography of cataclysm: Santa Anas wreak their psychic wrath; the odor of disaster seeps from the street like that sulfurous egg smell of the La Brea Tar Pits.” — John Lopez, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sept. 2025 Did you know? In its early days, wreak was synonymous with [avenge](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avenge), a meaning exemplified when Shakespeare’s [Titus Andronicus](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Titus-Andronicus) proclaims “We will solicit heaven, and move the gods / To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs.” This sense is now archaic, but the association hasn't been lost: although wreak is today most often paired with [havoc](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/havoc), it is also still sometimes paired with words like vengeance and destruction. We humbly suggest you avoid wreaking any of that, however, no matter how badly you may crave your [just deserts](https://bit.ly/4npeLLo).