as in applying
to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively
parental involvement has consistently been shown to exert the most influence over a child's success in school
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Recent Examples of exerting
The tastemaker brings to light a particularly poignant anecdote to illustrate the fact that her style decisions in the White House were nothing if not calculated — in many cases exerting a certain degree of soft power.
—
Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2025
As Moscow extended soft power abroad, the regime grew more concerned about other countries exerting it within Russia.
—Tetiana Kotelnykova, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
Beijing has long criticized Washington for exerting control beyond its borders through export rules that bar third-country companies from supplying China with chips made using American technology.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
But something will have to give if lawmakers hope to reopen the government in any timely fashion, and that movement will likely be the result of external forces exerting pressure on one party — or both of them — to break the deadlock.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 8 Oct. 2025
Rocks have tiny fissures into which water can seep; when the temperature drops, the water expands into ice, exerting pressure and widening the cracks.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025
Last week, critics accused the FCC’s Carr of improperly exerting pressure on ABC and local broadcasters to cancel Kimmel — and that his threats were tantamount to a First Amendment violation.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Strikes on refineries are designed to choke off the Kremlin’s war revenues while exerting pressure on Russia’s already strained economy.
—David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
This perception is shared by the private sector, which is exerting increasing pressure on the Brazilian government to grant Chinese firms greater access to the Brazilian market.
—Hussein Kalout, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2025
As Moscow extended soft power abroad, the regime grew more concerned about other countries exerting it within Russia.
—Tetiana Kotelnykova, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
Beijing has long criticized Washington for exerting control beyond its borders through export rules that bar third-country companies from supplying China with chips made using American technology.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
But something will have to give if lawmakers hope to reopen the government in any timely fashion, and that movement will likely be the result of external forces exerting pressure on one party — or both of them — to break the deadlock.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 8 Oct. 2025
Rocks have tiny fissures into which water can seep; when the temperature drops, the water expands into ice, exerting pressure and widening the cracks.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025
Last week, critics accused the FCC’s Carr of improperly exerting pressure on ABC and local broadcasters to cancel Kimmel — and that his threats were tantamount to a First Amendment violation.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Strikes on refineries are designed to choke off the Kremlin’s war revenues while exerting pressure on Russia’s already strained economy.
—David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
This perception is shared by the private sector, which is exerting increasing pressure on the Brazilian government to grant Chinese firms greater access to the Brazilian market.
—Hussein Kalout, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exerting
Verb
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Many major airlines are also waiving change fees and penalties for passengers who are looking to switch their flights on their own, though some carriers are applying limits.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
7 Nov. 2025
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Thompson immediately began applying for jobs, including DoorDash, grocery stores and substitute teaching.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Sarah Moore, executive director of the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition, questioned the legality of using American Rescue Plan Act funds for the project.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
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Separately, Graffiedi is exploring immersion cooling for data centers using dielectric fluids — non-conductive liquids that remove heat through boiling.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Published with our TechLine newsletter, Rendering will examine how artificial intelligence is disrupting the entertainment industry, taking you inside key battlegrounds and spotlighting change makers wielding the technology for good and ill.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
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Dramatic body cam video shows a terrified boy was being held by the throat when his knife-wielding captor was killed by a deputy, the Florida investigators say.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Using both together, especially after exercising, may help optimize muscle gains and improve recovery.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois,
Health,
4 Nov. 2025
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The complaint accuses police of retaliating against Martinez for exercising her First Amendment rights.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exerting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exerting. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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