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
The drive for TikTok to divest from its Chinese owner stems from the fear of US lawmakers and intelligence officials that China could access user information through the app or exert influence over Americans who spend hours on it each day.
—
Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024
The Boy and the Heron is a subtle masterpiece that exerts a gravitational pull—and many of us feel that pull intensely.
—TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Through her tale, Carr depicts the ways in which women can care for and exert power over one another.
—The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
When those three or more bodies all exert force onto one another, their orbit becomes chaotic and hard to predict.
—Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
The rapid loss of cabin pressure caused oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling, and suction as air rushed from the hole exerted force on people inside the plane.
—David Koenig, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024
Without explicitly mentioning it, Japan may also be trying to exert pressure on the Biden administration to allow Nippon Steel, a Japanese corporation, to acquire U.S. Steel, the struggling manufacturer based in Pittsburgh.
—Motoko Rich, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Some continue to exert outsized influence on African and Western governments, the media, and NGOs, shaping how the international community regards Rwanda’s current government.
—Jonathan M. Hansen, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
The recent shipping disaster in Baltimore might not exert much impact on crude oil supplies and prices, as that port doesn’t rank among the top 10 for oil shipments, according to DTS World Cargo Services.
—The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024
The Boy and the Heron is a subtle masterpiece that exerts a gravitational pull—and many of us feel that pull intensely.
—TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Through her tale, Carr depicts the ways in which women can care for and exert power over one another.
—The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
When those three or more bodies all exert force onto one another, their orbit becomes chaotic and hard to predict.
—Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
The rapid loss of cabin pressure caused oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling, and suction as air rushed from the hole exerted force on people inside the plane.
—David Koenig, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024
Without explicitly mentioning it, Japan may also be trying to exert pressure on the Biden administration to allow Nippon Steel, a Japanese corporation, to acquire U.S. Steel, the struggling manufacturer based in Pittsburgh.
—Motoko Rich, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Some continue to exert outsized influence on African and Western governments, the media, and NGOs, shaping how the international community regards Rwanda’s current government.
—Jonathan M. Hansen, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
The recent shipping disaster in Baltimore might not exert much impact on crude oil supplies and prices, as that port doesn’t rank among the top 10 for oil shipments, according to DTS World Cargo Services.
—The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exert.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near exert
Cite this Entry
“Exert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exert. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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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