exert

verb ex·ert \ ig-ˈzərt \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

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

On the surface, at the level of federal politics, the symbolism and formalities of governance still exerted some power over the GOP well into the 2000s (though the theft of the 2000 election was a notable signpost on the path to lawlessness).

— david roberts, Vox, "Tribalism put Scott Pruitt in power. It may not be enough to save him.," 7 Apr. 2018
Previous administrations exerted pressure privately, worked within the system, try to get allies on board with limited results.

— Fox News, "Mary Jo Kopechne's cousin reacts to 'Chappaquiddick' film," 6 Apr. 2018
Over the past two decades, China has, for the most part, exerted a giant deflationary force on prices in the U.S. and elsewhere.

— richard barley, WSJ, "The Big Risk of a Trade War: Inflation," 5 Apr. 2018
Though blockbuster advice-givers have exerted a huge amount of influence in shaping the attitudes and opinions of audiences, the practice itself, as Weisberg notes, seems inherently conservative.

— alexandra molotkow, The New Republic, "The Power of the Advice Columnist," 26 Mar. 2018
While the overall budget of a wine drinker—or wine-drinking couple—might determine a wine budget, other factors, such as emotion and context, can exert a powerful influence.

— lettie teague, WSJ, "The Hidden Equation Behind ‘Expensive’ Wine," 22 Mar. 2018
The Japanese have exerted a great amount of effort to adopt certain aspects of the American aesthetic (think high-quality denim, rock bands, and fashion tribes devoted to one particular style, like vintage denim or all black).

— Bon Appetit, "Fellows," 19 Mar. 2018
If scores follow her example, the inventory flood could exert downward pressure on home prices.

— carolyn said, San Francisco Chronicle, "Tahoe ski town cracks down on vacation rentals: Too much tourism?," 19 Mar. 2018
Like a person whose body was heavily sedated with a drug designed to have no effect on his mind or even exert a speed-like influence there.

— john jeremiah sullivan, GQ, "Diddy Opens Up About Biggie's Death and the Secret Project He's Working on with Jay-Z," 19 Mar. 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.