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 Charlie Hunnam plays Arthur, who must rise to glory Gladiator style after his evil uncle (Jude Law) wrests away control of the kingdom following his dad’s killing. Will Leitch, Vulture, 27 May 2025 In April, Hogg unveiled a $20 million initiative targeted at wresting Democratic incumbents from positions of power and replacing them with new candidates. Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 19 May 2025 We are led through the intricately improbable negotiations by which the Bronfman family, from Montreal, eager for a piece of Hollywood, managed to wrest Universal away from Lew Wasserman. Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 19 May 2025 His 101 days in government have been stormy, and his series of interviews this week — including Wednesday’s session with reporters from major newspapers and television networks — appeared to be an effort to wrest back control of the messaging. Jonathan Swan, New York Times, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
Verb
  • Surveillance camera footage from the lobby of a building down the street from the U.S. Capitol provided a break in the three-year search for the person who was extorting a young man from Buffalo, New York.
    Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 15 June 2025
  • Juan was eventually released on May 18, 1996, but the kidnappers held Luis for three additional days, to extort more money from the family.
    Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
Verb
  • Simpson pitched two innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits, including a three-run homer by Drake Baldwin.
    Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 22 June 2025
  • Canning allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits, walked two and struck out four over five innings.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • Brands began to pull together resources to support refugees.
    Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
  • The 13-minute performance will likely call for a healthy dose of vibrant, colored lighting to pull it all together.
    Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • In the few months since its launch, JD.com has grabbed 7.5% of China’s food-delivery market after its daily meal orders reached 20 million on May 13, according to a May 14 research note from Blue Lotus Capital Advisors.
    Yue Wang, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • To help keep your home safe (and know when your Prime Day packages arrive), grab a Ring Battery Doorbell with Indoor Cam for under $150.
    Laura Lu, Parents, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • Once extracted, researchers began to compare the genetic material discovered to previous samples.
    Nick Butler, FOXNews.com, 21 June 2025
  • In November 2022, President Joe Biden issued a license to allow the oil company Chevron to evade sanctions in order to extract oil in Venezuela.
    Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Despite remaining hugely cash-generative at the operating level, outgoings on player transfers, loan interest and the £50million investment at the Carrington training ground have squeezed their ability to spend quite so readily as in the past.
    Gregg Evans, New York Times, 17 June 2025
  • Team-building is not about squeezing sufficient value out of every single contract or assembling a roster of yes men.
    Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • That application, obtained by The Associated Press, also offers some of the first financial details about the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and its work in the territory.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 June 2025
  • In footage obtained by South Tahoe Now, boats are seen in rough water amid strong winds.
    Escher Walcott, People.com, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • Some brushes can tug, cause static, or pull too harshly at delicate strands, leading to unnecessary damage over time.
    Daisy Maldonado, Glamour, 20 June 2025
  • Two strong lumbermen with spiked poles pushed and tugged at the logs, slowly opening a passage.
    Robeson Bailey, Outdoor Life, 11 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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