Definition of exert
transitive verb
1a : to put forth (strength, effort, etc.) the force is exerted sidewaysb : 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
From the M-W Editors
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
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On Friday evening, House Democrats sent a letter to the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, saying there was no case for the president to exert the privilege on Mr. Comey.
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But there are other ways law enforcement unjustly exerts its power—and against other communities, too—that often slip below the national radar.
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And legislative analysts and health policy experts question whether California would be able to exert sufficient bargaining power.
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Abe told Moon that dialogue for dialogue's sake with North Korea would be meaningless, and that China's role in exerting pressure on the North was important.
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The teachers union and Mohip are also battling over how much control Mohip can exert over work rules under their current contract.
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The Beltrán Leyva cartel had once exerted control over the region’s criminals.
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The New York Times reported this week that Russian intelligence and political advisers discussed last summer how to exert influence over Trump through his advisers, particularly Flynn and Manafort.
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The institute is widely respected as a source of impartial research data, even by many industry critics, and its reports exert influence on public policy.
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.
Origin and Etymology of exert
Latin exsertus, past participle of exserere to thrust out, from ex- + serere to join — more at series
EXERT Defined for English Language Learners
exert
playDefinition of exert for English Language Learners
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: to use (strength, ability, etc.)
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: to cause (force, effort, etc.) to have an effect or to be felt
EXERT Defined for Kids
exert
playDefinition of exert for Students
exerted
;exerting
1 : to put forth (as strength) : bring into use He exerted force to open the jar.
2 : to make an effort She exerts herself to help others.
Learn More about exert
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See words that rhyme with exert Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for exert Spanish Central: Translation of exert Nglish: Translation of exert for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of exert for Arabic speakers
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