Was Throw a Spanner in the Works?

What does throwing a spanner in the works mean?

: to cause something to not go as planned We were ready to start the project when the bank threw a spanner in the works by denying the loan.

Is throw a spanner in the works an idiom?

put a spanner in the works

COMMON If someone or something throws a spanner in the works or puts a spanner in the works, they cause problems which prevent something from happening in the way that it was planned. ... Note: The usual American expression is throw a wrench into the works or throw a monkey wrench into the works.