wrest

Definition of wrestnext
1
as in to pry
to draw out by force or with effort the boy wrested the book out of his sister's hands

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to extort
to get (as money) by the use of force or threats vowed that the bully had wrested his lunch money from him for the last time

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to earn
to get with great difficulty farmers who were used to wresting a living from the harsh land

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
5
as in to grab
to separate or remove by forceful pulling wrested open the stuck door of the cabinet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 wrest Prasad and top drug regulator Tracy Beth Høeg have wrested control of vaccine surveillance from career staff. Lizzy Lawrence, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026 In 2012, Manbij became one of the first Syrian cities to wrest itself from the tyranny of the dictator Bashar al-Assad. Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026 Fast forward to 2025 when the total outlays are now north of $7 trillion a year, more than a 360% increase in national spending in the 30 years since term limits were wrested from the American public. Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2026 Last August, Howard Stern attempted to wrest news of a Metallica Sphere residency during an interview with Ulrich. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
Verb
  • Avenatti had been convicted of stealing millions of dollars from clients over the years, including Daniels; trying to extort Nike to the tune of more than $20 million and blocking the IRS’s attempts to collect payroll taxes.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Dozens of armed groups run rampant in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, extorting businesses, kidnapping people and driving farmers off their land.
    Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Matt Strahm worked a hitless eighth inning and Lucas Erceg earned his fourth save.
    CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Mansaray now works under a company that requires her to make daily returns of 350 leones ($14), earning an average daily wage of 175 leones ($7), enough to cater to her family and considered high income for many in the country.
    ABC News, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • But the next morning, the equipment had to be pulled.
    Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
  • Many Democrats are pulling endorsements and demanding Swalwell exit the race.
    Diana Paulsen, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Cynthia proceeds to call Porsha, and Angela grabs the phone, executing an amazing assist like her baller husband, and forces Porsha to speak directly to Kelli.
    Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
  • As soon as the door opens, Sadie jumps up to greet Koch before darting off to grab a toy, bounding back toward Koch with her tail still wagging.
    Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The money set aside to cover its share stands at almost three times the profit extracted from the UK auto finance unit over more than a decade, underscoring the severity of the capital drag.
    Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Regardless of how the capsule lands, five giant airbags will be inflated with helium at the top of the capsule to help keep it upright as recovery crews work to secure the spacecraft and prepare to extract the astronauts.
    Tom Costello, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Focusing on everyday shapewear, Yummie hugs instead of squeezes like traditional shapewear that can be extremely tight and constrictive.
    ABC News, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
  • All movies need a 45-day exclusive theatrical window, because small and mid-budget movies that hit streaming sooner are getting squeezed.
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Leyne Milstein, the city’s interim city manager for all but a few days of 2025, received less compensation than assistant city manager Howard Chan, according to tax documents and pay stubs obtained by The Sacramento Bee through a public records request.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
  • The extraordinary review of a media outlet’s coverage, revealed in emails obtained by The Star, is unheard of in Kansas City politics, according to one former mayor.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The immediacy of svn4vr’s arrangements always tugs the heartstrings.
    H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Nanny Aimee -- our second in command -- was moving through the far corners of the house, waking up each of the littles, kissing sleepy eyelids, tugging my two toddlers gently forward into the day.
    Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on wrest

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster