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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
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
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Recent Examples of wrest
As Green and the other man tussled, a man identified by police as Bryan Carter pulled out a gun, prompting a friend of Green to attempt to wrest away the weapon.
—
Devan Patel, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
Will Manchester City wrest their crown back?
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Mikey Day, playing one of the driver’s managers alongside Padilla, nearly breaks while trying to wrest an affidavit from McCarthy’s mouth.
—Charu Sinha, Vulture, 7 Dec. 2025
Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson and Kharkiv three years ago prompted peak fears that Putin would consider using nuclear weapons to wrest back the initiative and coincided with China’s own nuclear buildup.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrest
Devan Patel, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
Will Manchester City wrest their crown back?
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Mikey Day, playing one of the driver’s managers alongside Padilla, nearly breaks while trying to wrest an affidavit from McCarthy’s mouth.
—Charu Sinha, Vulture, 7 Dec. 2025
Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson and Kharkiv three years ago prompted peak fears that Putin would consider using nuclear weapons to wrest back the initiative and coincided with China’s own nuclear buildup.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
Verb
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According to the indictment, the two defendants engaged in a racketeering conspiracy, committed multiple murders, engaged in drug distribution and extorted victims.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The filing also contends McFadden’s comments amounted to an attempt to extort Cunningham into changing her vote and an attempt at bribery.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bregman played his first nine seasons with the Houston Astros, winning World Series titles in 2017 and 2022 — although the first of those yielded a sign-stealing scandal that earned Bregman and his teammates plenty of scorn.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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After doing some work onstage, the actor and comedian finally began appearing on-screen in the 1970s, earning small roles in TV shows like Police Woman, The Waltons and The Jeffersons.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The strong currents from flash floods can pull drivers off roadways.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
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Bruce Bennett / Getty Images TORONTO — Anthony Stolarz pulled Dennis Hildeby in close as the 6-foot-7 Swede was putting the finishing touches on his goalie gear.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Tri-State Fishing and Outdoor Show Don your camo gear and grab your fishing poles for the Tri-State Fishing and Outdoor Show.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
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The suspects, seen grabbing armfuls of merchandise during multiple rounds of theft, reportedly fled in a U-Haul truck, Lower Merion Police told Fox 29 Philadelphia.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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SpaceX's recovery crews typically aims to collect the Dragon capsule and extract its crew within an hour or so of splashdown.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
11 Jan. 2026
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Fantasy accords bring together a variety of notes to create a scent that either can’t be found in nature or can’t be extracted from raw materials.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Panthers squeezed a few end-of-career seasons out of guys such as Dino Ciccarelli and Igor Larionov.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Instead, 2026 is about building both stylish and sensible outfits that can take you from the airport to the streets with maximum versatility without ever squeezing into tight, form-fitting fabric.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital revealed allegations made by the staffer’s attorney, Heidi Sharp, on the day Moore allegedly entered the staffer's home without permission, which later resulted in his arrest.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
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As a result, the couple obtained more than $450,000.—
Chase Jordan
January 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His administration’s agenda has tugged the law to its limits on several occasions, and is currently undergoing multiple court battles on issues ranging from immigration to tariffs.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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And while Americans’ overall ideological self-identification looks stable in the aggregate (37% very conservative/conservative, 34% moderate, 25% very liberal/liberal), a January 2025 Gallup poll shows that this steadiness hides tectonic tensions tugging beneath the surface.—
Robert T.F. Downes,
Hartford Courant,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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