exerted; exerting; exerts
1
a
: to put forth (strength, effort, etc.)
The force is exerted sideways.
b
: to put (oneself) into action or to tiring effort
won't have to exert himself moving the table
2
: to bring to bear especially with sustained effort or lasting effect
exerted a lot of influence on fellow committee members
Examples of exert in a Sentence
He had to exert all of his strength to move the stone.
He exerts a lot of influence on the other members of the committee.
the force exerted by the machine
Recent Examples on the Web
If rates rise unexpectedly, those low initial payments can balloon, exerting pressure on household budgets just as the broader economy absorbs the impact.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Other players, however, insist that disarmament must commence first, or else any political process will be subjected to Hamas’s interference, and to arm-twisting by those who can exert influence with their guns and tunnels.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
The team traced this distortion to optostriction, where the electromagnetic field of light exerts a small but measurable mechanical force on the atoms.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
His memoir is a patchy affair, to be honest, which omits entire swaths of his achievement, yet its wayward momentum exerts a certain charm, as if Hopkins were only just in control of his reminiscences.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exert
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Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Other players, however, insist that disarmament must commence first, or else any political process will be subjected to Hamas’s interference, and to arm-twisting by those who can exert influence with their guns and tunnels.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
The team traced this distortion to optostriction, where the electromagnetic field of light exerts a small but measurable mechanical force on the atoms.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
His memoir is a patchy affair, to be honest, which omits entire swaths of his achievement, yet its wayward momentum exerts a certain charm, as if Hopkins were only just in control of his reminiscences.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exert
Cite this Entry
“Exert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exert. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exert
verb
ex·ert
ig-ˈzərt 
1
: to put forth (as strength)
the force exerted by a machine
: bring into use or action
exert influence
2
: to put (oneself) into action or to tiring effort
don't exert yourself too much
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