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 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 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
  • Malkin pried a few gory details out about the storylines out of LaNasa.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
  • In the lab, the team pried the soldiers’ teeth open.
    Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This man just could not stop getting extorted, which is not ideal for anyone but is especially unpleasant for the head of MI5.
    Brian Grubb, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Prosecutors allege he and co-defendant Gelardo extorted an individual to collect gambling debts between November 2022 and February 2023.
    Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This Navfalcon Hidden Camera Detector has earned a permanent spot in my travel bag; this gadget picks up the radio frequency (RF) signals that are emitted by cameras and alerts you when these wireless signals have been detected.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Dylan, Olivia and Karagach's performance earned them 36/40 from the judges and plenty of high praise.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • For years, fashion companies like Ralph Lauren pulled their products from Macy’s stores to sell more of their products direct to consumers online and at their own stores.
    Phil Wahba, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Curran then grabbed Trantalis’ leg and pulled him to the ground, then reportedly dragged him 15 feet across the road.
    Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Shakarna grabbed her medication and headed to try to reach her, fearing for her life.
    Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • But like de Blasio did 12 years earlier, Mamdani identified the growing crisis of unaffordability as the city's most pressing problem and grabbed attention − especially from the young and online − by promising to address it.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Just as the video began, a man identified as Justin Calhoon, 19, lunged across the table, yanked it toward him and flipped it on its side while Turning Point materials spilled onto the pavement.
    Peter D'Abrosca, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
  • While the Russian threatened to make history against Chicago just two nights earlier—he’d reached the 894 mark before the Blackhawks yanked their goalie—Ovechkin apparently wasn’t interested in breaking the record by way of an empty net.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But there's also concern that these programs, some funded by private donations and not used to such demand, will be financially squeezed.
    Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
  • George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program, a Philadelphia food bank, told USA TODAY that food banks are already squeezed by federal funding cuts.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 28 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 8 Nov. 2025.

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