wrest

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

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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

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

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

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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 wrest Charlie Hunnam plays Arthur, who must rise to glory Gladiator style after his evil uncle (Jude Law) wrests away control of the kingdom following his dad’s killing. Will Leitch, Vulture, 27 May 2025 In April, Hogg unveiled a $20 million initiative targeted at wresting Democratic incumbents from positions of power and replacing them with new candidates. Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 19 May 2025 We are led through the intricately improbable negotiations by which the Bronfman family, from Montreal, eager for a piece of Hollywood, managed to wrest Universal away from Lew Wasserman. Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 19 May 2025 His 101 days in government have been stormy, and his series of interviews this week — including Wednesday’s session with reporters from major newspapers and television networks — appeared to be an effort to wrest back control of the messaging. Jonathan Swan, New York Times, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
Verb
  • Mexico City band Molotov decry state agents who extort the same communities that pay their salaries, and make a plea for power to be returned to the people.
    Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
  • But when Arthur is released unharmed, rumors fly that the whole thing was a plot contrived by the son to extort money from his father.
    Caroline Fraser June 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
Verb
  • The first film ignited to $30 million domestically and $45 million globally and became a sleeper hit for Universal and Blumhouse, ultimately earning $180 million against a $12 million budget.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 1 July 2025
  • My years in publishing had trained me to believe that personhood would have to be earned, like a gold star or a promotion, which was more likely just a title change with no raise.
    Maris Kreizman July 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Brands began to pull together resources to support refugees.
    Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
  • The 13-minute performance will likely call for a healthy dose of vibrant, colored lighting to pull it all together.
    Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • One four-person crew in a 24-foot open-bow MasterCraft grabbed their life jackets, wisely abandoned the boat and swam to shore.
    George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
  • Watching robots like Barb and Peter grab your order in just seconds is pretty impressive, but what's even more remarkable is that this technology is already making shopping quicker, safer, and a whole lot easier.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Also featured are Alta Resource Technologies, using computational biochemistry to extract critical minerals like neodymium and gallium from e-waste, and Tidal Metals, which is pioneering magnesium extraction from seawater through a novel vapor adsorption system.
    Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Among the chaos is Rupert Friend, playing Martin Krebs, who's assembling a group to take to the scene of the devastation in hopes of extracting DNA from the creatures roaming the island to fund his next medical breakthrough.
    Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Paul Blackburn, with plenty of starting experience for Oakland, could squeeze into the picture too – especially if the Mets decide to try a six-man rotation that would save wear and tear on each man.
    Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • When pancake is ready to flip, squeeze the cinnamon mixture into a swirl shape on top of the pancake batter, pressing the tip of the bag slightly into the batter.
    Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • In its place, graduate students can obtain Stafford loans of up to $20,500 per year ($50,000 per year for qualifying law and medical students).
    Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • Bemberg is Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and RCS certified and has obtained the the ISO 14001 certification.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Some brushes can tug, cause static, or pull too harshly at delicate strands, leading to unnecessary damage over time.
    Daisy Maldonado, Glamour, 20 June 2025
  • Two strong lumbermen with spiked poles pushed and tugged at the logs, slowly opening a passage.
    Robeson Bailey, Outdoor Life, 11 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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