We've ended up a spanner short of a toolbox.
Source: tatoeba (651051)
Spanner
/ˈspæn.ɚ/
Synonyms for "spanner" (9 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: wrench, adjustable wrench, disruption, hurdle, idiot.
- Sentence evidence is available for spanner, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "spanner".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "spanner"
Keep "spanner" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "spanner" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "spanner", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "spanner" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
5 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
6 entriesadjustable spannerbox end spannermonkey wrenchopen ended spannerring spannersocket spanner
Inflections
1 entriesTranslations
113 translations across 71 languages.
Albanian
1 entries- çelës noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Arabic
2 entries- كالمونط noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- مِفْتَاح رَبْط noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Armenian
2 entries- մանեկադարձիչ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- պտուտակաբանալի noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Azerbaijani
2 entries- açar noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- qayka açarı noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Bashkir
1 entries- асҡыс noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Belarusian
1 entries- ключ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Bengali
2 entries- প্লাস noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- সাঁড়াশিবিশেষ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Bulgarian
1 entries- ключ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Burmese
1 entries- ကဏန်းလက်မ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Catalan
1 entries- clau anglesa noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Chinese Cantonese
1 entries- 士巴拿 noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 扳子 noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- 扳手 noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Czech
1 entries- klíč noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Danish
3 entries- fastnøgle noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- skiftenøgle noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- svensknøgle noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Dari
1 entries- رَنْج noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Dutch
2 entries- sleutel noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- steeksleutel noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Esperanto
1 entries- boltilo noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Estonian
2 entries- mutrivõti noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- võti noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Finnish
2 entries- jakoavain noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- kiintoavain noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
French
4 entries- clef noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- clef à écrous noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- clé noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- clé de serrage noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Galician
1 entries- chave noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Georgian
3 entries- გასაღები noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- ქანჩგასაღები noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- ქანჩის გასაღები noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
German
2 entries- Schlüssel noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- Schraubenschlüssel noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Greek
1 entries- κλειδί noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Hausa
1 entries- sufana noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Hebrew
1 entries- מַפתֵחַ בְּרָגִים noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Hindi
1 entries- पाना noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Hungarian
3 entries- csavarkulcs noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- franciakulcs noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- villáskulcs noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Icelandic
2 entries- skiptilykill noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- skrúflykill noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Indonesian
2 entries- kunci pas noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- sepanar noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Iranian Persian
1 entries- آچار noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Irish
2 entries- castaire noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- rinse noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Italian
2 entries- chiave noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- chiave inglese noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Japanese
2 entries- スパナ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- レンチ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Kazakh
2 entries- кілт noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- сомын кілті noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Khmer
1 entries- សោ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Korean
2 entries- 렌치 noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- 스패너 noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Kyrgyz
2 entries- ачкыч noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- гайка ачкычы noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Lao
1 entries- ປະແຈ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Latvian
1 entries- atslēga noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Lithuanian
1 entries- raktas noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Macedonian
1 entries- клуч noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Malay
1 entries- sepana noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Maltese
1 entries- ġewża noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Marathi
1 entries- पाना noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Māori
3 entries- huriperu noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- mauhuri noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- wāwāhi noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Navajo
1 entries- bee ił hadaʼagizí noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Norman
1 entries- clié à êcrouettes noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Norwegian Bokmål
2 entries- fastnøkkel noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- skiftenøkkel noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Polish
2 entries- klucz noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- klucz płaski noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Portuguese
2 entries- chave noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- chave inglesa noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Romanian
1 entries- cheie noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Russian
1 entries- ключ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- kljȗč noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- кљу̑ч noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Slovak
1 entries- kľúč noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Slovene
2 entries- ključ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- vijačni ključ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Spanish
2 entries- llave noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- llave fija noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Swahili
1 entries- spana noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Swedish
2 entries- nyckel noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- skruvnyckel noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Tagalog
1 entries- liyabe noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Tajik
1 entries- калиди гайкатобӣ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Tatar
1 entries- ачкыч noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Thai
1 entries- ประแจ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Turkish
1 entries- İngiliz anahtarı noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Ukrainian
2 entries- ключ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- мутро́вий ключ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Urdu
1 entries- پانا noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Uyghur
1 entries- كۇلۇچ noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Uzbek
4 entries- gayka kaliti noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- gayka klyuchi noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- kalit noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- klyuch noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Vietnamese
2 entries- cờ lê noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- mỏ lết noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Welsh
1 entries- sbaner noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Wu Chinese
2 entries- 扳手 noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
- 扳頭 /扳头 noun (hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts)
Sample sentences
17 total sentences available.
Someone's put a spanner in the works.
Source: tatoeba (6172483)
Hand me that spanner, will you?
Source: tatoeba (8681656)
Hand me that spanner.
Source: tatoeba (8681657)
Showing 4 of 17 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "spanner"?
Closest matches include wrench, adjustable wrench, disruption, hurdle, idiot.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "spanner"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.