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 Christian music star Amy Grant and her cousin, Andy Burton, have successfully wrested control of a valuable downtown church property. Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Oct. 2025 Advertisement Embracing—or distancing themselves from—AI might be one way the parties seek to wrest control of this young voting bloc. Nathan E. Sanders, Time, 4 Oct. 2025 Seattle fans can already envision a future where a one-loss Seahawks team wrests control of the division away from Los Angeles in early November, but Tampa Bay has to be the first domino to fall. J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 Trump just days ago said the United States wanted to wrest back control of Bagram Air Base. Ian Swanson, The Hill, 20 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
Verb
  • By the following year, the FBI had recovered millions of dollars extorted from Colonial Pipeline by Darkside.
    Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
  • But in a rarity, a string of attacks were sourced to a pair of cybersecurity employees out to extort millions from victims.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • With their four nominations, HUNTR/X becomes the first K-pop girl group to earn Grammy nominations, and one of two acts (alongside ROSÉ of Blackpink) to earn nominations in the same year, another first for the genre.
    Stephen Daw, Billboard, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Brown and Harbour have earned two Emmy noms each, with Harbour and Ryder also garnering Golden Globe nods.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The strong currents from flash floods can pull drivers off roadways.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Bruce Bennett / Getty Images TORONTO — Anthony Stolarz pulled Dennis Hildeby in close as the 6-foot-7 Swede was putting the finishing touches on his goalie gear.
    Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • However, Cena outsmarted him by grabbing the chair, throwing it next to Dom, and pretending to be down on the mat.
    Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Security camera footage from a nearby apartment complex showed the naked man walking across the street prior to the incident, seemingly talking to himself and grabbing a sign, per NBC 4.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The amount of space between garden soil particles is so minuscule that container plants struggle to send their roots into it and extract nutrients from it.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Historically, concrete production depended heavily on natural sand and gravel extracted from riverbeds, a practice that led to severe environmental degradation in some regions.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • As an architectural blacksmith, Guillory favored Japanese denim jeans—a balance of craftsmanship and professionalism—for client meetings squeezed between long days welding staircases and chandeliers.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 11 Nov. 2025
  • But their arrival has coincided with a spike in housing prices, which has squeezed many locals out of the market.
    Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The list of airports, obtained by ABC News and CBS News, includes Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International and airports in Louisville and Indianapolis.
    Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2025
  • On Wednesday, in documents obtained by Rolling Stone, a California superior court judge overseeing the lawsuit ruled in favor of Kardashian and the anti-SLAPP motion, effectively dismissing the other Cantu’s lawsuit, though the judge left open the possibility of an appeal.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • When you’re done, simply pop open the large dustbin and empty debris directly into the trash—no tugging out tangled hair or gunk required.
    Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The idea of moving to America constantly tugs at rising singer-songwriter Larissa Lambert.
    Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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