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 Intruder by Freida McFadden When a hurricane bears down on her remote cabin, Casey discovers a bloodied, knife-wielding girl outside her window and reluctantly lets her in.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Underlying all of this is the unitary executive theory that says executive power lies solely with the president, and the people who wield it on his behalf should be able to be fired by him.
—Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Advertisement In filmmaker Tobe Hooper's slasher classic, chainsaw-wielding Leatherface's penchant for cutting off his victims' faces and wearing them as masks was apparently inspired by Gein's own macabre habits.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Two people were killed and three were injured by a man wielding a knife outside a synagogue in Manchester, England, during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wield
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Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Underlying all of this is the unitary executive theory that says executive power lies solely with the president, and the people who wield it on his behalf should be able to be fired by him.
—Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Advertisement In filmmaker Tobe Hooper's slasher classic, chainsaw-wielding Leatherface's penchant for cutting off his victims' faces and wearing them as masks was apparently inspired by Gein's own macabre habits.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Two people were killed and three were injured by a man wielding a knife outside a synagogue in Manchester, England, during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 2 Oct. 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 7 Oct. 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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