“Reek” or “Wreak”

reek / wreak are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

reek r·IY·k

verbsmell badly and offensively.
verbbe wet with sweat or blood, as of one's face.
verbgive off smoke, fumes, warm vapour, steam, etc..

wreak r·IY·k

No dictionary entry for this spelling — see the usage examples below for how it shows up in writing.

Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“reek”

No example sentences found for this spelling.

“wreak”

…breed of toxin" that "could wreak havoc on a town," and…
…as "optimistic" and "out to wreak as much good-natured havoc as…
…body, and is ready to wreak vengeance on the Storybrooke residents,…
…damage they were able to wreak upon the Roma population.
…the Atlantic Ocean designed to wreak havoc on the Allied shipping
…the flood plain of the Wreak near Syston.

Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions are drawn from WordNet.

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