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
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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
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Recent Examples of wrested
The constitution was thus wrested from the Iranian people and appropriated by a ruling cadre that imposed its own interpretation of Islamic law upon them.
—
Ramin Jahanbegloo, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
The rise of hip-hop and the films of Spike Lee in the late 1980s and early 1990s forced a revival of Malcolm X, a reclaiming of him by Black America, wrested from his historical framing by the white mainstream, which during his time did not love him.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Ja'Quan McMillian wrested the ball from Bills receiver Brandin Cooks as the two tumbled to the ground in overtime.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
McMillian wrested the ball away from Brandin Cooks at the Broncos 20-yard line when a field goal would have won the game for Buffalo (13-6).
—Arnie Stapleton, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2026
In 2024, OpenAI announced plans to convert into a for-profit company, which would have wrested control from the nonprofit and kept it as a separate arm.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026
At her funeral, mourners wrested her casket from the official pallbearers and carried it aloft through the streets of Cairo, to her burial place.
—Sam Kashner, Air Mail, 27 Dec. 2025
Gary Neal and his partners wrested control of Windwave from its nonprofit parent and sold it to themselves, hiding insider knowledge of lucrative deals with Amazon to keep the price low.
—Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Hamas wrested power from the more secular and internationally recognized Fatah party in 2007 after winning legislative elections the previous year.
—Matt Bradley, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2025
Ramin Jahanbegloo, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
The rise of hip-hop and the films of Spike Lee in the late 1980s and early 1990s forced a revival of Malcolm X, a reclaiming of him by Black America, wrested from his historical framing by the white mainstream, which during his time did not love him.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Ja'Quan McMillian wrested the ball from Bills receiver Brandin Cooks as the two tumbled to the ground in overtime.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
McMillian wrested the ball away from Brandin Cooks at the Broncos 20-yard line when a field goal would have won the game for Buffalo (13-6).
—Arnie Stapleton, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2026
In 2024, OpenAI announced plans to convert into a for-profit company, which would have wrested control from the nonprofit and kept it as a separate arm.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026
At her funeral, mourners wrested her casket from the official pallbearers and carried it aloft through the streets of Cairo, to her burial place.
—Sam Kashner, Air Mail, 27 Dec. 2025
Gary Neal and his partners wrested control of Windwave from its nonprofit parent and sold it to themselves, hiding insider knowledge of lucrative deals with Amazon to keep the price low.
—Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Hamas wrested power from the more secular and internationally recognized Fatah party in 2007 after winning legislative elections the previous year.
—Matt Bradley, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrested
Verb
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Edge rushers Trey White and Ryan Henderson, linebacker Owen Chambliss and safety Dwayne McDougle were pried away by Power Four programs, but SDSU coach Sean Lewis was pleased that the Aztecs were able to hold onto much of the talent while adding to it through the NCAA transfer portal.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The officers and two bystanders pried open the truck’s door and pulled the driver to safety, the agency said.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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However, the company declined to answer follow-up questions about when the breach occurred, whether customer data was involved or if it is actively being extorted.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In his defense, Barnett took the stand to say there was no murder plot and that Thomas extorted him for the money using physical violence – knocking out his teeth, injured his left shoulder, and smacking his private parts.—
Sydney Pereira,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This resort stands on the edge of Aruba, specifically on Eagle Beach, where the crystal-clear water and white sands have earned it the reputation of being one of the best beaches in the world.—
José Cantillo Ferrer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
-
City Manager Bryan Whitemyer announced the appointment this week, saying Solak earned the confidence of city staff and residents during his time leading the department.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
So far, six have been pulled to safety.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Sakamoto plans to retire after the Olympics, but will leave the sport in good hands with her teammate and new talent Nakai, who landed a triple axel that pulled her into first.—
Alice Park,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Moroney, who sang covers, grabbed her guitar and riled up the crowd.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
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The woman, who is listed as a current or former girlfriend of Fleming’s, first petitioned for a court order against him in January 2025, alleging that Fleming had grabbed her by her scarf and used it to choke her, and threatened her for spreading rumors about him.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The gloves were off and the two were grappling at each other’s jerseys for position when Crinon grabbed Wilson by the sweater and yanked him to the ice, effectively ending the fight.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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The National Institutes of Health, part of HHS, also yanked dozens of research grants supporting studies of vaccine hesitancy last year.—
Amanda Seitz,
NPR,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In an ecosystem squeezed by the brutal economics of streaming and the continuing struggles of the theatrical model, far too many worthy films go unsold and unseen.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Tens of billions of dollars in corporate loans are likely to default over the next year as companies, especially software and data services firms owned by private equity, get squeezed by the AI threat, Mish said in a Wednesday research note.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Experts believe the crown’s flexible mount was strained when thieves wrenched it from its display through a narrow slot cut by the angle grinder, according to a report by the Louvre.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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And yet so much of the film community’s focus has been wrenched out of the past into an urgent present and uncertain future.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrested. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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