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
Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
In 2005, a handful of libertarians attempted, with little success, to wrest control of the government.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Real estate experts told ProPublica that, in its bid to wrest control of the historically independent Fed and go after political enemies, the Trump administration has mischaracterized mortgage rules.
—Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrest
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Verb
The rise of hip-hop and the films of Spike Lee in the late 1980s and early 1990s forced a revival of Malcolm X, a reclaiming of him by Black America, wrested from his historical framing by the white mainstream, which during his time did not love him.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
In 2005, a handful of libertarians attempted, with little success, to wrest control of the government.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
On Saturday, Trump announced 10% tariffs on eight European countries that don’t support his efforts to wrest control of Greenland from Denmark.
—Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Real estate experts told ProPublica that, in its bid to wrest control of the historically independent Fed and go after political enemies, the Trump administration has mischaracterized mortgage rules.
—Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 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 6 Feb. 2026.
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