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
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
My parents were just children when they were wrested from their homes into tarpaper barracks surrounded by barbed wire.
—Julie Morita, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Having wrested himself from Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, the great choreographer has sought to remake himself and his work in Denmark.
—Marina Harss, The New York Review of Books, 19 Feb. 2026
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
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
My parents were just children when they were wrested from their homes into tarpaper barracks surrounded by barbed wire.
—Julie Morita, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Having wrested himself from Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, the great choreographer has sought to remake himself and his work in Denmark.
—Marina Harss, The New York Review of Books, 19 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrested
Verb
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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
-
Colbert also pried about the pair’s friendship with the author George Saunders, asking for an invite the next time the three hang out.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Baldoni, 42, last year countersued, bringing claims against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging he’d been defamed and extorted and demanding an enormous $400 million in damages.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In schemes orchestrated with Iza, Coberg arranged a fake drug arrest and stood guard while a victim was extorted.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bednar tallied his second loss of the season after allowing three hits, two runs (one earned) and a walk in the bottom of that frame.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Colfer earned praise and a Golden Globe award for his sensitive portrayal of Kurt's journey, which included several timely bullying storylines.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hoopes turned a corner and the cop, lights flashing, pulled him over.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Finally, this past New Year’s Eve, their full-length debut surfaced as an unfussy YouTube post—only to get pulled one week later as Bottner sought label distribution.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The officer grabbed me and said 'you're arrested,' and just put me in handcuffs and drug and dragged me out.—
Mahsa Saeidi,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Much of the film feels like Cronin grabbed a bunch of different clothes off a rack at a clothing store only to end up wearing a bizarrely mismatched outfit that never really comes together.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lindor, who has been the subject of criticism for his play thus far, yanked a shot into the seats, scoring Marcus Semien and Carson Benge — one of the few positives from this night.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
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As the smell intensified, Lina crossed to the front door of her apartment, undid the lock, and yanked the sticky door open.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sudhir Srivastava, vice president of the Noida Entrepreneurs Association, said manufacturers were being squeezed from multiple directions.—
Mayu Saini,
Footwear News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Bottom line Private credit’s share of overall financing in the US economy has grown, and when that growth slows or stops, small businesses with few other options get squeezed.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the plane twisted upward, the air pressure wrenched off another tail fin.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Wrested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrested. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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