wielded

verb

past tense of wield
as in exerted
to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively wields considerable influence in the field of women's sports

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of wielded Trump has wielded his iron grip on the Republican Party in ways that could hurt its chances in some races. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 With a combined readership of 75 million at their peak, Hopper and Parsons wielded extraordinary influence — and instilled paralyzing fear. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Oct. 2026 The real villain here, Reck said, is the system as wielded by the government. — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 At shorter wavelengths, however, the light could be wielded like a scalpel. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 The index has reflected the stronger pricing power the trucking industry has wielded throughout 2026. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, the flow of oil from other Gulf nations through the Strait of Hormuz, over which Iran had once wielded considerable influence, has effectively returned to normal. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 Indeed, the administration has wielded its power against Anthropic, with the Pentagon previously designating the company a rare supply-chain risk and stalled the release of its Mythos model. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026 The junta has also wielded new citizenship laws against dissidents. — Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wielded
  1. exerted
  2. used
  3. applied
Verb
  • Serially deadpan comedian-filmmaker Fielder, meanwhile, has previously exerted pop-cultural thrall as the figurehead of HBO’s The Rehearsal and Comedy Central’s Nathan for You.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
  • While a filter holds the foam back, the gas passes through another channel into the eyedrop chamber, where the pressure exerted by it pushes the medication down a final microfluidic channel that leads directly into the corner of the patient's eye.
    — Ben Coxworth October 23, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of exerted
Verb
  • Fittingly, the hotel takes great care to disrupt its surroundings as little as possible; a geothermal well services the property’s heating and cooling, and plants that draw mosquito-eating birds are used in place of pesticides.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The team then used in-situ polymerization to turn the mixture into a more robust polymer matrix.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of used
Verb
  • The gorgeous and tasty caramel and cream cheese frosting looks the best when applied with a small offset spatula to give it that swirly effect on the cake.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026
  • While traditionally only achievable in real life through plastic surgery or extreme makeup, it can be applied instantly online using beauty filters.
    — Chloe Veltman, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of applied

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wield
wielded
wielding
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Cite this Entry

“Wielded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wielded. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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