wrest

1
as in to pry
to draw out by force or with effort the boy wrested the book out of his sister's hands

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2
as in to extort
to get (as money) by the use of force or threats vowed that the bully had wrested his lunch money from him for the last time

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3
as in to earn
to get with great difficulty farmers who were used to wresting a living from the harsh land

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4
5
as in to grab
to separate or remove by forceful pulling wrested open the stuck door of the cabinet

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wrest Trump just days ago said the United States wanted to wrest back control of Bagram Air Base. Ian Swanson, The Hill, 20 Sep. 2025 Trump has long sought an elusive deal to wrest TikTok’s US assets from Chinese control, allowing an American investor group to buy it. Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025 The thrust of Rupert Murdoch’s case revolved around maintaining Fox as a conservative political media force by ensuring that Lachlan’s siblings wouldn’t be able to wrest control of the company from him and moderate its coverage. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025 Trump has been unsuccessfully trying to wrest control of the independent Federal Reserve. Nicholas Riccardi, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
Verb
  • And in response, the Maduro regime is extorting them by holding their nationals in prison and forcing them to engage with the Maduro regime for their release.
    Manuel Rueda, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Shannon was going through the worst thing in her life last year — getting a DUI and then being extorted for $75,000 by her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend who crashed the show — and what did Tamra do?
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • One reason is that the fan base is demoralized after La Vinotinto was routed 6-3 by Colombia in the final qualifying date last month and failed to earn a World Cup playoff spot.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Students study for three years to earn their doctor of nursing practice degree, which requires 1,000 hours of supervised clinical practice.
    Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The strong currents from flash floods can pull drivers off roadways.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2025
  • But institutional gravity is already starting to pull the two organizations together.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In grabbing McNeeley in the same class as Knueppel, Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte wanted to infuse its roster with youthful players boasting an old school mentality.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2025
  • If her vibe is all about being cute yet comfy, grab the matching shorts for extra brownie points.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Firefighters used a crane to extract him from the tunnel opening.
    Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) in the United Kingdom announced in an August press release that specialists in its Face Lab were able to digitally extract face masks from corpses found in the Cordillera Oriental region of eastern Colombia.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Freeman took rookie Chad Patrick deep for the first Dodgers run, and his teammates squeezed a second run out of Brewers closer Abner Uribe in the ninth.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Nara announced the cute name in a post on her Instagram showing little Fawnie curled up in soft blankets, along with a video clip squeezing her tiny hand.
    Sarah Scott, Parents, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But it is required to obtain state permits to ensure the waste does not contaminate the environment or local water sources.
    Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Deutsche Bank’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein Documents obtained by Fortune reveal that Deutsche Bank opened more than 40 accounts for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and processed millions of dollars in allegedly suspicious transactions, even as allegations against him persisted.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Guardiola was agitated that Van Hecke went to ground inside his own penalty area in a shirt-tugging duel with Erling Haaland.
    Andy Naylor, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Stylists crouch just out of frame, tugging seams, swapping earrings, brushing stray hairs from her face, while publicists hover nearby.
    Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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