wrested

past tense of wrest
1
2
as in extorted
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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
5

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 wrested Christian music star Amy Grant and her cousin, Andy Burton, have successfully wrested control of a valuable downtown church property. Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Oct. 2025 No existing rival has wrested market share from Google. Julia Shapero, The Hill, 2 Sep. 2025 In 1968, Palestinians resurrected an independence movement that wrested decision making away from Egypt and other Arab countries that had been humiliated in the Six-Day War. Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025 But still, the record is a spiritual victory, full of wisdom wrested from audible pain. Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrested
Verb
  • Instead of throwing the traditional shovelful of dirt, attendees pried bricks from the ground for a photo op to mark the start of the second phase.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Last year, a Yankees fan pried the ball out of the glove of Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts, and another held down his wrist in the first inning of Game 4 of the World Series.
    Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Shannon was going through the worst thing in her life last year — getting a DUI and then being extorted for $75,000 by her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend who crashed the show — and what did Tamra do?
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Freedom of Speech is far more American than a hundred-thousand-dollar-per-plate dinner at Mar-a-Lago or trips to Epstein Island or bullying a network into cancelling Steven Colbert or bragging about having extorted $16 million from a movie studio.
    Billy Ray, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • There aren't many relievers in baseball worth over $20 million a season, but given the righty's dominance, he's earned it.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Ohtani’s historic Game 4 earned him the series MVP.
    Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The defendants have pulled every procedural lever to avoid being held responsible for their egregious actions.
    Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Alas, Israel has not pulled the trigger there, either, likely due in part to geopolitical instability — the MDSC would require construction in the West Bank.
    Big Think, Big Think, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Two of them were on the doors of a reach-in cooler on the expo line and were grabbed by the manager.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
  • MacDonald grabbed a knife from the kitchen and threatened to kill himself, cutting at his throat, prosecutors said.
    Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The play where DeMario Douglas zig-zagged through a sad-sack Saints secondary for a touchdown, then returned to the sideline and got yanked back with the rest of the offense.
    Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
  • In the video, the security guard who leaped into the crowd at the man who yanked at Eilish appeared to be thrown backward by him.
    Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Freeman took rookie Chad Patrick deep for the first Dodgers run, and his teammates squeezed a second run out of Brewers closer Abner Uribe in the ninth.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The iPhone 17′s margin could also be squeezed by an unfavorable product mix and a higher bill of materials cost.
    Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • His scraggly beard seems grown to be wrenched.
    Roy Scranton August 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrested. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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