Synonyms of wrested

wrested

verb

past tense of wrest

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

• pried
• pulled
• yanked
• extracted
• plucked
• uprooted
• prized
• removed
• tore (out)
• wrung
• corkscrewed
• mined
• took (out)
• withdrew
• rooted (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inserted
• installed
• implanted
• instilled
• jammed
• stuffed
• crammed
• wedged
• rammed

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

• extorted
• squeezed
• exacted
• wrung
• forced
• coerced
• milked
• bled
• gouged
• compelled
• fleeced
• swindled
• cheated
• skinned
• racketeered

3

as in earned

to get with great difficulty

farmers who were used to wresting a living from the harsh land

Synonyms & Similar Words

• earned
• obtained
• squeezed
• scrounged
• acquired
• wrung
• procured
• attained
• secured
• eked (out)
• scraped (up or together)
• gained
• landed
• drew

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

• pulled
• yanked
• wrenched
• tugged
• plucked
• jerked
• wrung
• pried
• removed
• twisted
• extracted
• lugged
• drew
• dredged (up)
• dislocated
• levered
• shifted
• displaced
• tweaked
• transposed
• jimmied
• disturbed
• transferred
• budged

5

as in grabbed

to separate or remove by forceful pulling

wrested open the stuck door of the cabinet

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grabbed
• yanked
• tore
• ripped
• snatched
• wrenched
• pulled
• seized
• pried
• extracted
• severed
• snapped (up)
• forced
• cut (off)
• nabbed
• amputated
• uprooted
• jerked
• prized
• lopped (off)
• nipped
• dissevered
• rooted (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reattached

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wrested

One of Indian democracy’s great achievements is that even its poorest citizens have proved adept at recognizing when the power of their vote is being wrested away, gauging the consequences and organizing to resist. — Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026

The report also stated that Saudi Arabia has ruled out negotiations until the strait has been wrested from Houthi control. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026

Colandrea rushed for a career-best 108 yards and used his legs to convert key third downs as the Huskers wrested control away from the Terps in the second and third quarters. — Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Another unidentified witness saw the struggle and wrested the knife from Rivas, according to police. — David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 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

And yet, no one has wrested the crown away from the attention king. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 8 July 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

That was when microbes wrested energy from light and, in the process, breathed new life into the world. — Quanta Magazine, 10 June 2026