(~es, ~ing, ~ed)
1.
If you ~ something that is fixed in a particular position, you pull or twist it violently, in order to move or remove it.
He felt two men ~ the suitcase from his hand...
They ~ed open the passenger doors and jumped into her car.
VERB: V n prep, V n with adj
2.
If you ~ yourself free from someone who is holding you, you get away from them by suddenly twisting the part of your body that is being held.
She ~ed herself from his grasp...
He ~ed his arm free...
She tore at one man’s face as she tried to ~ free...
VERB: V pron-refl prep, V n adj, V adj
3.
If you ~ one of your joints, you twist it and injure it.
He had ~ed his ankle badly from the force of the fall.
VERB: V n
4.
If you say that leaving someone or something is a ~, you feel very sad about it. (BRIT)
I always knew it would be a ~ to leave Essex after all these years...
Although it would be a ~, we would all accept the challenge of moving abroad.
N-SING: usu a N to-inf/-ing
5.
A ~ or a monkey ~ is an adjustable metal tool used for tightening or loosening metal nuts of different sizes.
N-COUNT
6.
If someone throws a ~ or throws a monkey ~ into a process, they prevent something happening smoothly by deliberately causing a problem. (AM; in BRIT, use throw a spanner in the works )
Their delegation threw a giant monkey ~ into the process this week by raising all sorts of petty objections.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR in/into n