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
To exert brute force without apprehension.
—
Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
This grotesque miscarriage of justice is almost solely responsible for the influence that billionaires and shadowy Super PACs have exerted on the last three presidential elections, turning our politics into a plaything for the wealthiest Americans.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Blood pressure is the amount of pressure that your blood exerts on the blood vessels in your body.
—Angela Ryan Lee, Health, 4 Oct. 2025
Within the machines, heated up to 275 degrees, a balloon will exert up to 100 pounds of pressure; this combination of extreme heat and force will force the crown into its permanent shape in less than a minute.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exert
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Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
This grotesque miscarriage of justice is almost solely responsible for the influence that billionaires and shadowy Super PACs have exerted on the last three presidential elections, turning our politics into a plaything for the wealthiest Americans.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Blood pressure is the amount of pressure that your blood exerts on the blood vessels in your body.
—Angela Ryan Lee, Health, 4 Oct. 2025
Within the machines, heated up to 275 degrees, a balloon will exert up to 100 pounds of pressure; this combination of extreme heat and force will force the crown into its permanent shape in less than a minute.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 3 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 8 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
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