wrest

Definition of wrestnext
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 Kantamanto is trying to wrest back some measure of control. Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026 One can picture a similar relief for Veeze, wresting control from the internet, letting his unfazed facade crack even if for just a moment. Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 2 June 2026 Like everything else that works here, Brie’s performance wrests the last scraps of freshness from a mode of filmmaking this movie knows is played out, but doesn’t have the particular strength to reinvent. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 June 2026 Control was wrested back towards the end of the period, a sign of better things to come, even if that profligacy that has dogged them so much reared once again in stoppage time at the end of the half. Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
Verb
  • This seasonal turn pulls you toward a time of reflection.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 21 June 2026
  • To pull it off, the show’s creative team had to build a rock star from the ground up, crafting a visual identity, creating music that could stand on its own outside the series, and transforming Reid into a performer capable of owning a crowd rather than simply acting in front of one.
    Precious Fondren, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • Perhaps our two states should work in coordination to address our relative strengths and weaknesses together instead of allowing billionaire NFL ownership to extort one state over another.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026
  • In April of that year, Michael Spilotro and a third brother, Victor, were charged with extorting money from two businesses associated with prostitution and using violence to enforce their demands, UPI reported at the time.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Warren’s second pitch of that plate appearance made for some chin music — more so than the one that Contreras walked on — and earned a glare from the batter.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026
  • This basic tank has earned 2,900 five-star ratings, and reviewers are raving about its quality and fit.
    Genevieve Cepeda, InStyle, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • The instinctive Moon in your 12th House of Solitude opposes dreamy Neptune in your 6th House of Work and Wellness, so rest and tasks tug hard.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026
  • But the combatants kept grasping and tugging each other off-balance.
    Bob Brody, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026
Verb
  • There is an art to cutting a cantaloupe, which starts long before grabbing the knife and cutting board.
    Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 22 June 2026
  • Schmidt can be forgiven for making this headline-grabbing prediction.
    Rob Toews, Forbes.com, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • EgoLab, an Indian data aggregation company among those extracting this information from apparel factories, according to The Guardian, has a clientele that includes major companies like Tesla.
    Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 26 June 2026
  • Even when doctors are able to access patient data from other systems, pinpointing and extracting the most relevant information for a particular patient’s case can require tremendous effort.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Blend roasted red peppers with V8, and add Worcestershire sauce and freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice for a fresh alternative to bottled bloody mary mix.
    Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 20 June 2026
  • With electric vehicles continuing to gain share, that further squeezes European carmakers.
    Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • The Hawks own the eighth overall pick, which would be challenging for the Pacers to obtain.
    Tony East, Forbes.com, 24 June 2026
  • Information developed during that case led Hernando County investigators to obtain a search warrant for property connected to the Mansfield family, where four bodies were discovered in the early 1980s.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.

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