wreak havoc

UK, US/ɹiːk ˈhæv.ək/

verb

To cause damage, disruption, or destruction.

“The storm wreaked havoc on his garden.”

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Meanings

verbwreak havoc (third-person singular simple present wreaks havoc, present participle wreaking havoc, simple past and past participle wreaked havoc or wrought havoc)

present singular third person wreaks havoc · participle present wreaking havoc · participle past wreaked havoc · past wreaked havoc · participle past wrought havoc · past wrought havoc

  1. To cause damage, disruption, or destruction.

    The storm wreaked havoc on his garden.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
play havoc

Translations

Catalan causar estralls
  • causar estrallsTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
Czech způsobit škodu, způsobit katastrofu
  • způsobit škoduTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
  • způsobit katastrofuTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
Finnish tehdä tuhoa
  • tehdä tuhoaTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
French semer la pagaille
  • semer la pagailleTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
German Chaos anrichten, Verwüstung verursachen
  • Chaos anrichtenTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
  • Verwüstung verursachenTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
Italian creare scompiglio, gettare scompiglio
  • creare scompiglioTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
  • gettare scompiglioTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
Latin vastō
  • vastōTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
Polish siać spustoszenie
  • siać spustoszenieTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
Portuguese causar estragos
  • causar estragosTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
Russian наноси́ть уще́рб
  • наноси́ть уще́рб (nanosítʹ uščérb)To cause damage, disruption, or destruction
Spanish causar estragos
  • causar estragosTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
Swedish härja
  • härjaTo cause damage, disruption, or destruction
Ukrainian завдати шкоди, сіяти хаос
  • завдати шкоди, сіяти хаос (zavdaty škody, sijaty xaos)To cause damage, disruption, or destruction
Cite this entry
APA

wreak havoc. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wreak%20havoc

MLA

“wreak havoc.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wreak%20havoc. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wreak havoc,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wreak%20havoc.

Source: wreak havoc on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.