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

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

Women are wrested from their seats and don’t return. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026