1
as in pried
to draw out by force or with effort
the boy wrested the book out of his sister's hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
4
as in pulled
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
5
as in grabbed
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
wrested open the stuck door of the cabinet
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 wrested
Women are wrested from their seats and don’t return.
—
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
OpenAI briefly considered plans to transition into a for-profit company in 2024, which would have wrested control from the nonprofit and kept it as a separate arm.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Feinberg had wrested some decision making on shipbuilding away from Phelan, according to two officials familiar with the matter.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
Democrats wrested control of the Legislature from Republicans in 1954, the year Ariyoshi won the first of two terms in the Territorial House of Representatives.
—ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
Eventually, David Ellison’s Paramount wrested WBD out of Netflix’s hands.
—Robertas Bakula, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
And in that quest for unbridled growth, the AI industry has wrested ungodly amounts of capital from investors all looking for the next big thing, ensnaring the entire economy.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
Prasad and top drug regulator Tracy Beth Høeg have wrested control of vaccine surveillance from career staff.
—Lizzy Lawrence, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026
Fast forward to 2025 when the total outlays are now north of $7 trillion a year, more than a 360% increase in national spending in the 30 years since term limits were wrested from the American public.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
OpenAI briefly considered plans to transition into a for-profit company in 2024, which would have wrested control from the nonprofit and kept it as a separate arm.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Feinberg had wrested some decision making on shipbuilding away from Phelan, according to two officials familiar with the matter.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
Democrats wrested control of the Legislature from Republicans in 1954, the year Ariyoshi won the first of two terms in the Territorial House of Representatives.
—ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
Eventually, David Ellison’s Paramount wrested WBD out of Netflix’s hands.
—Robertas Bakula, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
And in that quest for unbridled growth, the AI industry has wrested ungodly amounts of capital from investors all looking for the next big thing, ensnaring the entire economy.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
Prasad and top drug regulator Tracy Beth Høeg have wrested control of vaccine surveillance from career staff.
—Lizzy Lawrence, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026
Fast forward to 2025 when the total outlays are now north of $7 trillion a year, more than a 360% increase in national spending in the 30 years since term limits were wrested from the American public.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrested
Verb
-
The burglars pried open a window to get into a room on the second floor.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Kemp says everything was ransacked, doors were broken, drawers and cupboards pried open, and empty cash boxes were on display.—
Alysia Burgio,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To dispose of his body, the group allegedly used a familiar method, placing it in a crematorium furnace in a local funeral home whose owner was being extorted by another Hells Angels member.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Kraken, one of the world’s oldest crypto exchanges, said it’s being extorted by a criminal group that claims to have access to some client account information.—
Olga Kharif,
Bloomberg,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On defense, cornerback Osiris Gilbert broke up multiple passes and had a few hard hits, linebacker Samuel Omosigho earned a sack, and linebacker Malaki Soliai-Tui forced a fumble.—
Sean Campbell,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
-
Oihane earned the assist on the goal.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
When agents approached, Marx ran, then pulled a handgun from his waistband while fleeing, according to a federal affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
The loose, stretchy fit is comfortable enough for all-day sightseeing yet still looks pulled together for dinner reservations.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Investigators later learned Hissom and her male passenger, who was wounded, were caught in a crossfire as a group of four or five men grabbed weapons from a vehicle and began firing at each other.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Aristide then allegedly charged at his brother, grabbed him by the neck and forced him to the ground, according to the report.—
Mauricio Maldonado,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson could’ve yanked him for the veteran Harrison Barnes.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Jackson’s music was also yanked from several radio stations in New Zealand, but eventually re-added.—
Amelia McDonell-Parry,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Many Americans feel financially squeezed — over half say their finances are worsening, according to a recent Gallup poll, the highest since 2001.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
-
And so there’s going to be times where we’re squeezed and punched.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Henley wrenched away from her mother's grip, turned, and darted up the stairs again, leaving Emily and Kate in startled silence.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
As the plane twisted upward, the air pressure wrenched off another tail fin.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrested. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
