as in applies
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 exerts
The 34 states suing Live Nation and Ticketmaster made one last push to convince the jurors that company — with its dominant position in ticketing, concert promotions, and venues — exerts outsized control compared to its competitors.
—
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
Coming up today for Day Five of the mission, Orion officially enters the lunar sphere of influence—where the moon’s gravity exerts a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth’s gravity does.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 5 Apr. 2026
His potential candidacy exerts a kind of gravitational pull.
—Sam Mkokeli, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Their shapes often distort as one galaxy exerts tidal forces on the other.
—Big Think, 30 Mar. 2026
Here, Beethoven exerts a compulsion for triumphant glory.
—Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Alicia Silverstone, in her most enduring performance, plays Cher Horowitz, a popular high schooler who exerts her influence through matchmaking and giving a makeover to the new kid in town.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
Still, California’s much higher share of students facing these hardships and attending public schools — rather than being absorbed into private ones — exerts a downward pressure on statewide scores.
—Jill Stegman, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
How China exerts its influence across the globe Start with the political architecture.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
Coming up today for Day Five of the mission, Orion officially enters the lunar sphere of influence—where the moon’s gravity exerts a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth’s gravity does.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 5 Apr. 2026
His potential candidacy exerts a kind of gravitational pull.
—Sam Mkokeli, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Their shapes often distort as one galaxy exerts tidal forces on the other.
—Big Think, 30 Mar. 2026
Here, Beethoven exerts a compulsion for triumphant glory.
—Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Alicia Silverstone, in her most enduring performance, plays Cher Horowitz, a popular high schooler who exerts her influence through matchmaking and giving a makeover to the new kid in town.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
Still, California’s much higher share of students facing these hardships and attending public schools — rather than being absorbed into private ones — exerts a downward pressure on statewide scores.
—Jill Stegman, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
How China exerts its influence across the globe Start with the political architecture.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exerts
Verb
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If a parent applies for a Parent PLUS Loan and is denied, the student may automatically qualify for additional federal aid, up to $4,000 for underclassmen and $5,000 for upperclassmen.—
La'Tasha Givens,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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The next applies the policy or business logic.—
Anita Beveridge-Raffo,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His signature dish, the popular snack bread cheela, made by lightly frying bread in gram flour, naturally uses less fuel than some treats.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
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Given that harvesting grapes is time-sensitive, researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have invented a portable optical sensor that uses state-of-the-art machine learning to give winemakers instant information about the ripeness of their grapes, news agency SWNS reported.—
Maureen Mackey , Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That might not be an issue in college, where the coach — especially a successful one — still typically wields the most power in the program.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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As pontiff, Leo wields incredible power and influence — but in truth, the message isn’t new.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exerts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exerts. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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