exert

verb ex·ert \ ig-ˈzərt \

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Examples: exert in a Sentence

Definition of exert

exerted; exerting; exerts

transitive verb

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 bad influence on his students

3 : employ, wield

exerted her leadership abilities intelligently

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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 of exert from the Web

But the institution has brought on Andrew Chau and Bin Chen, owners of Boba Guys, and Hong, chef of a tiny Fillmore pop-up called Sunday Bird, to exert their own gravitational pull.

— jonathan kauffman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Asian Art Museum takes a risk with young star chef’s destination cafe," 6 June 2018
Having conceded a free kick in a threatening position, the Azzurri were unable to deal with the pressure exerted by France, with Antoine Griezmann's delivery failing to be properly cleared.

— SI.com, "France 3-1 Italy: Griezmann Penalty & Dembele Stunner the Difference in Electric Friendly Meeting," 1 June 2018
With these values, the force the firefighter needs to exert on the human would be 1,478 Newtons.

— rhett allain, WIRED, "The Wild Physics of a Firefighter's Window Catch," 1 June 2018
While improving prospects for employment and wages are helping attract people who were on the sidelines of the job market, the retirements of older workers have been exerting downward pressure on participation.

— bloomberg, Fortune, "Unemployment Rate Matches Historic Low as U.S. Adds 223,000 Jobs in May," 1 June 2018
Two years ago, the organization caved to back-room pressure exerted by Ms. Kursinski and other victims to remove Mr. Williams’s name from the lifetime achievement trophy.

— New York Times, "The Equestrian Coach Who Minted Olympians, and Left a Trail of Child Molestation," 29 May 2018
Energy return denotes the amount of energy that shoe is able to retain when force is exerted upon it by a runner’s stride.

— martin fritz huber, Outside Online, "Do New "Energy Return" Shoes Put Pep in Your Step?," 18 Apr. 2018
Light sails are thin, reflective sheets large enough for the pressure exerted by beams of light shone at them to provide a meaningful accelerating force in the vacuum of space.

— The Economist, "Colonising the galaxy is hard. Why not send bacteria instead?," 12 Apr. 2018
Collins has a niche clientele of women with hair loss that is caused primarily by traction alopecia: hair loss from the tension exerted by styles like braids, extensions (with the hair braided underneath) and wigs.

— crystal martin, ajc, "What black women need to know about hair loss," 8 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exert.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.