Meaning: To think very hard to find an answer. If you rack your brains, you strain mentally to recall or to understand something. The rack was a mediaeval torture device where the victim was tied to the rack by his arms and legs, which were then practically torn from their bodies.

What does racking brains mean?

Definition of rack one’s brain : to think very hard in order to try to remember something, solve a problem, etc.

Is it wrack up or rack up?

“Do you rack up or wrack up debts?” While there are a number of settings in which wrack is considered an acceptable variant of rack, the accumulation of debts is not one of them. In this context rack up typically means “to achieve, score; to accumulate.”