wielded; wielding; wields
1
chiefly dialectal
: to deal successfully with : manage
2
: to handle (something, such as a tool) especially effectively
wield a broom
3
a
: to exert one's authority by means of
wield influence
b
: to have at one's command or disposal
did not wield appropriate credentials—
G. W. Bonham
G. W. Bonham
wielder
noun
Examples of wield in a Sentence
The man was wielding a gun.
Can he wield a hammer?
He wields a great deal of influence over his students.
Recent Examples on the Web
Those pieces and more than 200 others in the exhibition illustrate how Black dandies have wielded their clothing as instruments of both flair and function.
—Vincent Tullo, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Extractive industries like mining and logging had left a lasting environmental toll on the air, water, and land in the state, and for decades, the Anaconda Copper Mining Company wielded enormous power at the state legislature, resulting in large-scale mining, logging, and other extractive industry.
—ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2025
Eleven people were injured and a suspect wielding a weapon was shot dead by police in the South Carolina tourist town of Myrtle Beach late Saturday, authorities said.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025
Google’s weeder wielding work starts with digging out those who shouldn’t see the feature in the first place.
—Michael L. Millenson, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wield
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Vincent Tullo, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Extractive industries like mining and logging had left a lasting environmental toll on the air, water, and land in the state, and for decades, the Anaconda Copper Mining Company wielded enormous power at the state legislature, resulting in large-scale mining, logging, and other extractive industry.
—ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2025
Eleven people were injured and a suspect wielding a weapon was shot dead by police in the South Carolina tourist town of Myrtle Beach late Saturday, authorities said.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025
Google’s weeder wielding work starts with digging out those who shouldn’t see the feature in the first place.
—Michael L. Millenson, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wield
Cite this Entry
“Wield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wield. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wield
verb1
: to put (as a tool) to good use
wield a broom
2
: to use one's authority by means of
wield influence
wielder
noun
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