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 Xi’s reforms wrested operational control from the services and handed it over to a novel command structure that is streamlined and reflects Xi’s dual emphasis on strict party control and joint operations. Jonathan A. Czin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2025 But still, the record is a spiritual victory, full of wisdom wrested from audible pain. Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025 Irma, Mussington and some other locals feel, provided a smoke screen for the central government to finally wrest control of the much smaller island away from its residents after years of tension. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2025 The recipe for bulldog gravy originated in Appalachian coal mining communities, rooted in kitchens where resourceful cooks knew how to wrest every speck of flavor from humble ingredients. Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
Verb
  • Around that time in 2016, an undercover FBI agent approached Donna Adelson purporting to extort her with information about the contract killing on behalf of Rivera.
    Lauren del Valle, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
  • If this information were accessed, scammers could more convincingly extort or deceive individuals, according to Landau.
    TIME Staff, Time, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Italian was in charge of Spurs when Spence joined them in July 2022, a couple of months after his electric performances at right wing-back helped Nottingham Forest earn promotion to the top flight via the Championship play-offs.
    Jay Harris, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Mike Bedosky played for Mizzou football from 1989-92, earning two All-Big Eight selections as an offensive guard.
    Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The group routinely calls for removing books at public schools and played a role in Scottsdale Unified School District's decision to pull 16 books from its library shelves in February.
    Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The air fryer itself is easy to clean by pulling the trays out and wiping the inside with a wet cloth.
    Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Video surveillance from the scene posted online by Fox 11 shows a man lingering near a doorway, quickly grabbing the gift box from a table and running out of the venue.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The owner wanted to keep the grab-and-go options previously offered in the space.
    La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The last time Congress faced a deadline to extend government funding, Senate Democrats flinched, giving Republicans the votes needed to avert a government shutdown without extracting any concessions.
    Nik Popli, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Abboud and his mother, whose name is Najlaa, were safely extracted from the Gaza Strip on Thursday, though the location has not been disclosed in this reporting for their protection.
    Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The shakeups are the latest at a time when restaurants are squeezed between a labor shortage, rising food prices and a loss of customers as diners cut back on spending.
    Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025
  • For now, the three youngest each sleep in their own pack-and-plays squeezed into their parents’ bedroom.
    Jeff Truesdell, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The state agency, which is in charge of the unemployment program, will be required to search its archives and locate the people denied benefits and obtain their payment information in order to send out unemployment benefits they were denied, according to the order.
    Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Although the recognition of other countries is also a key component of obtaining statehood, any Palestinian state established today would not meet the minimal criteria, according to Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute.
    Michele Chabin, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The wind howled, rattling metal signs and tugging at our clothes as the dust swallowed everything in sight.
    Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • It’s been over 50 years since viewers first set foot in Walnut Grove, but NBC’s Little House on the Prairie still tugs at our heartstrings today.
    Kelly Martinez, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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