1. a wrench, especially one with fixed jaws
Usage: British
2. something that disrupts or interferes with a plan or process
Usage: British; informal

Examples

• He used a spanner to tighten the bolt.
• The mechanic reached for his spanner set.
• A broken pipe threw a spanner in the works.
• The unexpected rain put a spanner in our picnic plans.
• She grabbed the right-sized spanner from the toolbox.
• The strike threw a spanner into the production schedule.