Wreaking havoc vs. Reeking havoc

Wreaking havoc

/ˈriːkɪŋ ˈhævək/

Causing significant damage or disruption.

Examples:

The storm is wreaking havoc on coastal communities.Uncontrolled fires are wreaking havoc in the dry regions.The glitch started wreaking havoc on all systems.

Synonyms:

destructingdamagingdestroyingdisrupting

Antonyms:

repairing

Reeking havoc

/ˈriːkɪŋ ˈhævək/

Causing widespread chaos or destruction

Examples:

The storm reeked havoc on the small coastal village.Unauthorized files reeked havoc on the office computers.Her sudden departure reeked havoc on the project's timeline.

Synonyms:

This word has no synonyms

Antonyms:

This word has no antonyms

Ways to tell them apart:

• Wreaking havoc involves causing chaos or damage, while reeking havoc incorrectly suggests something smells bad while causing chaos.
• To wreak means to inflict or bring about, often used with negative actions like destruction.
• Reek refers to a strong, unpleasant smell, which doesn't logically pair with havoc.