wrest

verb

ˈrest How to pronounce wrest (audio)
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

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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

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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
as in to pull
to move by or as if by a forceful rotation I need a strong arm to wrest the lid off this pickle jar

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

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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 But, amid historically low approval ratings for the President, the Democrats are hoping to flip the seat, an essential part of any attempt to wrest back control of both houses of Congress. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026 Above all, Flanagan understands how even a mother’s love can be poisoned by fear when Carrie uses her newfound powers to wrest control of the household from her mother. — ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 In the early nineteenth century in Britain, a number of radical newspapers sprang up which aimed to equip their readers with the knowledge and ideas necessary to wrest power from their social betters. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 Colandrea rushed for a career-best 108 yards and used his legs to convert key third downs as the Huskers wrested control away from the Terps in the second and third quarters. — Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
  1. pull
  2. extort
  3. earn
  4. tug
  5. grab
  6. extract
  7. squeeze
  8. obtain
Verb
  • Quinn Sullivan started the sequence with a cross in front of goal that Indiana Vassilev settled and pulled goalkeeper William Yarbrough out of his area to find Cavan Sullivan for a close-range finish into an empty net.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • After Stephen Colbert was accused of crossing a picket line during a Harvard University event, the evening was cut short when someone pulled a fire alarm.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of pull
Verb
  • There was limited documentary evidence of Diamantis’ attempt to extort payoffs from Roy and CAP, the prosecutors said, and without her cooperation and testimony, conviction on those counts would have been difficult.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Once inside corporate networks, these workers can also access sensitive data, deploy malware and even extort their employers.
    — Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of extort
Verb
  • Since interim head coach Ryan Richter took over during the World Cup break, Philadelphia earned 43 of a possible 57 points while outscoring opponents 48-22 during that span.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • For many prospective students, cost is no longer an automatic barrier to earning a two-year degree or beginning a path toward a bachelor’s degree.
    — Editorial, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of earn
Verb
  • Where most garage rock is designed to punch you in the gut, Twisted Teens’ songs seep into your bloodstream, tugging at the heartstrings while occasionally inducing hallucinations.
    — Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The formula also features hydrating glycerin and vitamin E to help each shade glide across lids without tugging.
    — Madison San Miguel, Allure, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of tug
Verb
  • In a separate incident Sunday, Basabe flagged down police to report that a parking garage employee grabbed and threw his phone to the ground, the report shows.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Testing spoons stored in a manner where lip contact surface contamination could happen when employee grabs the spoon from container.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • This process initially extracts boron into a solution, which can then be concentrated for use in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • In a divided Congress, the party that doesn’t control the White House typically uses moments including government funding and debt-ceiling hikes to extract concessions from the majority party, a practice that can lead to brinksmanship.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of extract
Verb
  • The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil artery between Iran and Oman, has sent oil and gas prices on the uptick, squeezing Americans at home.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Drain collard greens and squeeze gently to remove excess water.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • The department has not publicly confirmed how the information was obtained.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Did Department of Government Efficiency personnel obtain access to sensitive, nonpublic contracting information at federal agencies that do business with Elon Musk’s companies?
    — Thomas Kahn, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of obtain

Browse Nearby Words

wrenching
wrest
wrested
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Cite this Entry

“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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