threw a spanner into the works

A form of throw a spanner into the works

Meanings

verb
Cite this entry
APA

threw a spanner into the works. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/threw%20a%20spanner%20into%20the%20works

MLA

“threw a spanner into the works.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/threw%20a%20spanner%20into%20the%20works. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “threw a spanner into the works,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/threw%20a%20spanner%20into%20the%20works.

Source: threw a spanner into the works on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.