Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

put a spoke in someone's wheel

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.97 in modern English

Syllables: put a spoke in -some-one's wheel
IPA

40

Scrabble Score

24

Letters

3

Syllables

14

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To thwart or obstruct someone in the execution of some design.

Example Sentences

"The original branch was 5¾ miles long, from Llantrisant to Cowbridge only, but in 1889, the T.V.R. [Taff Vale Railway] obtained powers […] to continue the line for 6½ miles south to the coast at Aberthaw, ostensibly for the purpose of serving the important limestone works there, but one suspects other motives, including an understandable desire on the part of the T.V.R. to put a spoke in the wheel of the oncoming Barry Railway !"

Inflected Forms

puts a spoke in someone's wheel (present, singular) putting a spoke in someone's wheel (participle, present) have a spoke in someone's cart (alternative, obsolete)

Phrases

throw a spanner in the works throw a wrench in the works

Frequently Paired Words

throw a spanner in the works throw a wrench in the works

Synonyms

fix someone's flint settle someone's hash

Questions

What does put a spoke in someone's wheel mean?: To thwart or obstruct someone in the execution of some design.

How to pronounce put a spoke in someone's wheel

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “put a spoke in someone's wheel”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “put a spoke in someone's wheel”.
Repeat and practice — Say “put a spoke in someone's wheel” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.