Synonyms of wrest

wrest

verb

ˈrest 

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

• pry
• pull
• extract
• yank
• pluck
• uproot
• remove
• prize
• wring
• tear (out)
• take (out)
• withdraw
• root (out)
• corkscrew
• mine

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• insert
• instill
• install
• implant
• ram
• stuff
• jam
• cram
• wedge

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

• extort
• squeeze
• wring
• coerce
• exact
• force
• compel
• gouge
• milk
• bleed
• skin
• swindle
• cheat
• fleece
• racketeer

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

• earn
• obtain
• scrounge
• procure
• wring
• acquire
• squeeze
• attain
• eke (out)
• secure
• scrape (up or together)
• gain
• draw
• land

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pull
• tug
• yank
• pluck
• wring
• pry
• remove
• extract
• twist
• wrench
• jerk
• draw
• displace
• lug
• dredge (up)
• budge
• tweak
• disturb
• shift
• dislocate
• transpose
• lever
• transfer
• jimmy

5

as in to grab

to separate or remove by forceful pulling

wrested open the stuck door of the cabinet

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grab
• yank
• tear
• rip
• snatch
• pull
• wrench
• pry
• extract
• seize
• sever
• force
• cut (off)
• snap (up)
• nab
• uproot
• amputate
• prize
• lop (off)
• nip
• dissever
• jerk
• root (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reattach

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wrest

But any correspondence between string theory and experiment is gratifying to Vafa, who has spent the past four decades trying to wrest the theory from the purely conceptual realm to the point of generating testable predictions. — Quanta Magazine, 22 June 2026

Amid the fallout, Honarkar lost possession of most of his properties, including the historic Hotel Laguna, where a public scuffle had broken out in 2023 between his security team and guards working for the partner who wrested control of the landmark. — Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026

But skeptics of Elliott’s plans say there is little precedent in the modern era of municipalities, or even states, wresting control from private for-profit utilities. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026

Kantamanto is trying to wrest back some measure of control. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026