WREST Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

wrest

verb

ˈrest

Definition of wrest

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

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

as in to earn

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

reattach

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 Another unidentified witness saw the struggle and wrested the knife from Rivas, according to police. — David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026 If New England somehow wrests the divison away from Buffalo, Vrabel gets serious consideration. — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 In this case, the production company Embassy Pictures wrested control of Crimewave away from Raimi after a challenging shoot, leading the director to disavow the film. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026 The Smithsonian Institution, which oversees twenty-one museums, among other establishments, operates independently from the executive branch of the government, which makes wresting control over it more difficult. — News Desk, Artforum, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wrest

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest

Verb

Jackson’s availability was curbed by red cards at Chelsea — in Bruges, a barge and shirt pull with defender Han-Beom Lee suggested those flickers of fury and confrontation still burn.

— Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
When his brother pleads for help, Tariq is pulled back into the London criminal underworld and the dangerous orbit of their crime boss mother.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of pull

Verb

This is an exciting step forward for Eisenberg the director, who had a breakthrough a couple of years ago with the lovely A Real Pain, which earned co-star Kieran Culkin an Academy Award.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
This confidence is also hard to earn, due to a long Premier League season.

— Beren Cross, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of earn

Verb

Walt Disney Animation Studios understands that all too well given Hexed, the latest fantasy featuring an all-star cast, dazzling computer animation and a story that’s sure to tug at heartstrings.

— Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
The late night host tugged at her sleeve cutout to get a look at the ink.

— Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of tug

Verb

Running back If you’re not used to seeing the running back position here, grab a ticket and join the line.

— Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Just like the rest of us that day, most of the dead were just going about such ordinary tasks as showing up for work, grabbing a cup of coffee and traveling on a commercial jetliner, or just trying to lend a hand to people in trouble.

— Mike Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of grab

Verb

Gulliver incredulously witnesses people attempting to extract sunbeams from cucumbers and turn excrement back into edible food.

— Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
As part of the investigation, those at Gamers Nexus were able to extract the names of the secondary devices as well as transcripts of private conversations people were having around the LG TV.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of extract

Verb

As more homes come onto the market and mortgage rates remain elevated, sellers are increasingly adjusting prices to attract buyers who have been squeezed by affordability challenges.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
The surge has raised concerns that higher gasoline prices could squeeze household budgets and weigh on consumer spending.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of squeeze

Verb

In the initial complaint obtained by USA TODAY, Said claimed she was placed on an all-male team that included Gutman and two other crew members.

— Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Only 15% had a criminal conviction, according to a Tribune analysis of federal data obtained by the research group Deportation Data Project.

— Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of obtain

Browse Nearby Words

wrenching

wrest

wrested

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Style

“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of wrest

verb

Example Sentences

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