wielded; wielding; wields
1
chiefly dialectal
: to deal successfully with : manage
2
: to handle (something, such as a tool) especially effectively
wield a broom
3
a
: to exert one's authority by means of
wield influence
b
: to have at one's command or disposal
… did not wield appropriate credentials …—
G. W. Bonham
G. W. Bonham
wielder
noun
Examples of wield in a Sentence
The man was wielding a gun.
Can he wield a hammer?
He wields a great deal of influence over his students.
Recent Examples on the Web
The nuances of how silverware gets wielded on either side of the pond can be dizzying.
—Terry Ward, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
His newest book makes such fact-finding a key theme, demonstrating the instability of a political system grounded in untruth—and investigating how populist leaders can wield that for their own ends.
—Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
During the harvesting season, typically between February and June, workers wielded this knife, using the sharp edge of the forked blade to pierce approximately 6 inches (15 centimeters) below the soil to cut the root of the asparagus.
—Sam Vong, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
South San Francisco police on Thursday released officer bodycam video of the shooting of a knife-wielding man having a mental health crisis earlier this month.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wield
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Terry Ward, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
His newest book makes such fact-finding a key theme, demonstrating the instability of a political system grounded in untruth—and investigating how populist leaders can wield that for their own ends.
—Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
During the harvesting season, typically between February and June, workers wielded this knife, using the sharp edge of the forked blade to pierce approximately 6 inches (15 centimeters) below the soil to cut the root of the asparagus.
—Sam Vong, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
South San Francisco police on Thursday released officer bodycam video of the shooting of a knife-wielding man having a mental health crisis earlier this month.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wield
Cite this Entry
“Wield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wield. Accessed 26 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wield
verb1
: to put (as a tool) to good use
wield a broom
2
: to use one's authority by means of
wield influence
wielder
noun
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