wrested; wresting; wrests
1
: to pull, force, or move by violent wringing or twisting movements
2
: to gain with difficulty by or as if by force, violence, or determined labor
Examples of wrest in a Sentence
Verb
He tried to wrest control of the company from his uncle.
the boy wrested the book out of his sister's hands
Recent Examples on the Web
Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2025
Kennedy’s next move appears to be wresting control of health and science research altogether.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
Arkansas Online, 22 June 2025
The New York Times reported on May 24 that the foundation originated from a group of Israeli and American military and business leaders as a plan to wrest control of Gaza from Hamas and replace the U.N. as the primary distributor of aid in Gaza.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrest
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.
Verb
Rumors suggested that the czar’s extended family, perhaps Paul or the dowager empress, would wrest power from Nicholas.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2025
Kennedy’s next move appears to be wresting control of health and science research altogether.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
Noun
Israel says the foundation is the linchpin of a new aid system to wrest control from the United Nations, which Israel claims has been infiltrated by Hamas, and other humanitarian groups.
—Arkansas Online, 22 June 2025
The New York Times reported on May 24 that the foundation originated from a group of Israeli and American military and business leaders as a plan to wrest control of Gaza from Hamas and replace the U.N. as the primary distributor of aid in Gaza.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrest
Cite this Entry
“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrest. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share