How do you say “A spanner in the works” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is mettre des bâtons dans les roues, which literally means “to put sticks in the wheels”. English speakers use a spanner in the works to mean a problem that disrupts a plan or stops progress. A familiar equivalent for obstructing progress. It can suggest deliberate interference, so explain accidental problems clearly. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
mettre des bâtons dans les roues
/mɛtʁ de bɑtɔ̃ dɑ̃ le ʁu/
- Literal meaning
- “to put sticks in the wheels”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
91 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
The French image also stops a mechanism from moving. It works well when someone makes another person’s plan difficult.
Use “nous” if we are the people affected: “Cela nous met des bâtons dans les roues.” The missing permit in the example is an obstacle, not a person acting maliciously.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
The missing permit threw a spanner in the works just before opening day.
French
L'absence de permis nous a mis des bâtons dans les roues juste avant l'ouverture.
English
He threw a spanner in the works by refusing to sign.
French
Il nous a mis des bâtons dans les roues en refusant de signer.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01