"throw a wrench in" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "throw a wrench in the works"
      },
      "expansion": "throw a wrench in the works",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "See throw a wrench in the works.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "throws a wrench in",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "throwing a wrench in",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "threw a wrench in",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "thrown a wrench in",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "throw<,,threw,thrown> a wrench in"
      },
      "expansion": "throw a wrench in (third-person singular simple present throws a wrench in, present participle throwing a wrench in, simple past threw a wrench in, past participle thrown a wrench in)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2020 December 28, Zach Montellaro, “Georgia election admins battle Covid and conspiracies ahead of Senate runoffs”, in Politico",
          "text": "The pandemic is also weighing on preparations, with election administrations hyperaware that Covid cases could throw a wrench in their plans at the last minute.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To introduce a problem, dilemma or obstacle in; to complicate."
      ],
      "id": "en-throw_a_wrench_in-en-verb-kGzz-5cF",
      "links": [
        [
          "problem",
          "problem"
        ],
        [
          "dilemma",
          "dilemma"
        ],
        [
          "obstacle",
          "obstacle"
        ],
        [
          "complicate",
          "complicate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, US) To introduce a problem, dilemma or obstacle in; to complicate."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "throw a wrench in"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "throw a wrench in the works"
      },
      "expansion": "throw a wrench in the works",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "See throw a wrench in the works.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "throws a wrench in",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "throwing a wrench in",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "threw a wrench in",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "thrown a wrench in",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "throw<,,threw,thrown> a wrench in"
      },
      "expansion": "throw a wrench in (third-person singular simple present throws a wrench in, present participle throwing a wrench in, simple past threw a wrench in, past participle thrown a wrench in)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2020 December 28, Zach Montellaro, “Georgia election admins battle Covid and conspiracies ahead of Senate runoffs”, in Politico",
          "text": "The pandemic is also weighing on preparations, with election administrations hyperaware that Covid cases could throw a wrench in their plans at the last minute.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To introduce a problem, dilemma or obstacle in; to complicate."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "problem",
          "problem"
        ],
        [
          "dilemma",
          "dilemma"
        ],
        [
          "obstacle",
          "obstacle"
        ],
        [
          "complicate",
          "complicate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, US) To introduce a problem, dilemma or obstacle in; to complicate."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "throw a wrench in"
}