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 bad influence on his students
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
At a time when Republicans control nearly every branch of power, some see the standoff as the only way for Democrats to exert pressure.
—
Leonardo Feldman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
As Kisco and Kent Circle tell it, Legacy, under Ishbia’s leadership, used a capital call on June 2, 2025, to exert pressure and dilute their interests.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Directed by the Austrian pair Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, The Lodge is a slow-burn genre exercise that exerts the pressure of a steel vise.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
The meters use electrical conductivity or tensiometer tubes that measure the suction exerted by the soil on the water, which indicates the soil moisture available to plants.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exert
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Leonardo Feldman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
As Kisco and Kent Circle tell it, Legacy, under Ishbia’s leadership, used a capital call on June 2, 2025, to exert pressure and dilute their interests.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Directed by the Austrian pair Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, The Lodge is a slow-burn genre exercise that exerts the pressure of a steel vise.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
The meters use electrical conductivity or tensiometer tubes that measure the suction exerted by the soil on the water, which indicates the soil moisture available to plants.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share