wielding

verb

present participle of wield
as in exerting
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 wielding Police said a man wielding a butcher's knife advanced toward officers, prompting them to open fire, killing him. — Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026 Oakland police released footage Wednesday of a deadly police shooting in mid-July, when two of its officers opened fire on a man who was wielding knives affixed to long metal poles in the city’s Fruitvale District. — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026 Wolverine chases the kidnappers across the rooftops, battling sword-wielding mercenaries and archers who leave arrows embedded in his body. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026 And in other cases, Beijing has gone further, wielding its market for food products as a weapon in political disputes. — Caitlin Welsh, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2026 Holmes cites the popular Japanese manga series Kagurabachi, about a sword-wielding young man on a quest to avenge his father. — Daniel Strauss, Vanity Fair, 10 Aug. 2026 The mutants' powerful beam-wielding team captain is among several characters being cast for the movie, with its Emma Frost also reportedly cast. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 The nature of lightsaber-wielding warriors like the Jedi and Sith — both ancient concepts to the galaxy's common people — is also questioned. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 5 Aug. 2026 Tuesday’s primary elections offered fresh clues about the direction of the Democratic Party and how several leading figures are wielding their influence. — Daniela Suarez, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wielding
  1. exerting
  2. using
  3. applying
Verb
  • Instead, in the late 19th century, Japan started to build its own empire, exerting influence over Korea as well as Manchuria, an important area of modern-day China that borders Korea, Russia and Mongolia.
    — Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The dynamic underscores how Trump continues to view tariffs as a tool for exerting pressure, both for trade grievances and as leverage in broader negotiations.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Definition of exerting
Verb
  • Carrick using Mbeumo as a centre-forward is not new — but the way United’s forward line is gelling around him is.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In Little Rock, former Police Chief Heath Helton, who stepped down in May, was a strong advocate for using technology like license plate reader cameras to support the department's operations.
    — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of using
Verb
  • The exemption would be phased in beginning next January, initially applying to vehicles built before 1981 and expanding by one model year for five years.
    — Darrielle Fair, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • One counterargument to the policy of applying economic pressure is that the US has been sanctioning Iran, like a handful of other nations, for decades without sparking meaningful political change.
    — Magdalena Del Valle, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of applying

Browse Nearby Words

wielded
wielding
wields
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Cite this Entry

“Wielding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wielding. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wielding

Nglish: Translation of wielding for Spanish Speakers

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