as in twisting
a forceful rotating or pulling motion for the purpose of dislodging something
no amount of wresting could loosen the rusted bolt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in pulling
to draw out by force or with effort
the boy wrested the book out of his sister's hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in extorting
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 earning
to get with great difficulty
farmers who were used to wresting a living from the harsh land
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in yanking
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 grabbing
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
wrested open the stuck door of the cabinet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of wresting
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
Matthew Ritchie,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
Vegas withstood an early barrage and then completely took over, defeating the top-seeded Avalanche 4-2 and wresting home-ice advantage away.
—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
During a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Monday, April 27, Quinn was seen wresting the ball out of the Guardians fan’s hands.
—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Companies bracing for higher energy costs are already wresting with tariffs, inflation and bigger labor costs.
—
Christopher Rugaber,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Trotsky hurled items from the desk at Mercader before wresting the ice pick from his grip.
—
Josh Ireland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Now the president is again pitching the idea that wresting control of Greenland away from Denmark could solve the problem.
—
Josh Funk,
Fortune,
11 Jan. 2026
In recent years, these Chinese middlemen have essentially become the go-to bankers for the biggest players in the US drug trade, authorities have said, wresting control from Latin American interests in what has amounted to a bloodless coup.
—
Rob Kuznia,
CNN Money,
18 Nov. 2025
If elections are more about wresting power from the other side, how does our country move forward?
—
Boston Herald Editorial Staff,
Boston Herald,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
In pitching his services, Prince discussed wresting control of gangs to allow major highways to reopen.
—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
One can picture a similar relief for Veeze, wresting control from the internet, letting his unfazed facade crack even if for just a moment.
—
Matthew Ritchie,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
Vegas withstood an early barrage and then completely took over, defeating the top-seeded Avalanche 4-2 and wresting home-ice advantage away.
—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
During a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Monday, April 27, Quinn was seen wresting the ball out of the Guardians fan’s hands.
—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Companies bracing for higher energy costs are already wresting with tariffs, inflation and bigger labor costs.
—
Christopher Rugaber,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Trotsky hurled items from the desk at Mercader before wresting the ice pick from his grip.
—
Josh Ireland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Now the president is again pitching the idea that wresting control of Greenland away from Denmark could solve the problem.
—
Josh Funk,
Fortune,
11 Jan. 2026
In recent years, these Chinese middlemen have essentially become the go-to bankers for the biggest players in the US drug trade, authorities have said, wresting control from Latin American interests in what has amounted to a bloodless coup.
—
Rob Kuznia,
CNN Money,
18 Nov. 2025
If elections are more about wresting power from the other side, how does our country move forward?
—
Boston Herald Editorial Staff,
Boston Herald,
6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wresting
Noun
-
If all goes well, Katalyst's space tug (it's called Link) will lift the Swift observatory into a higher, safer orbit — one that will add years of life to the aging space telescope's mission.
-
The clash between the two dynamics — one extolling beauty, the other detailing gruesome crimes — makes for an oil-vinegar mix that speaks to the tug of war women experience between using the beauty versus their brains.
Verb
-
The beast screamed and flew away, pulling an attached anchor into the water.
-
Launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, Swift remains scientifically valuable, but atmospheric drag has been pulling it dangerously close to Earth.
Verb
-
The report describes Indigenous patrols in Venezuela allegedly working alongside armed groups controlling mining areas and extorting workers along river routes.
-
Dozens of armed groups run rampant in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, extorting businesses, kidnapping people and driving farmers off their land.
Verb
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The wide receiver spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers, helping the franchise win Super Bowl XXXI and earning Pro Bowl honors in 1998.
-
Teen entrepreneurship has evolved significantly, with high schoolers now running real businesses and securing college opportunities, often earning thousands.
Verb
-
Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.
-
Counsell admitted postgame that yanking Imanaga might not have been the right move.
Verb
-
Farage, Reform’s attention-grabbing but divisive leader, was a curiously low-key presence.
-
With that in mind, if the Pacers want to acquire a draft pick, following their past and grabbing one in the 30s makes good sense.
Noun
-
In a strange twist, the potential buyer reportedly smelled a rat and reached out to someone with the company, to make sure the machinery hadn’t been stolen.
-
Then again, and again, stopping each time to adjust for a beat, a movement, the flow of actors in the room, a twist of a hand, an arm thrown that way, not this way.
Verb
-
Not with these linen panels that Malek Barney recommends—the thicker fabric strikes that Goldilocks balance between privacy and natural light, letting sunlight gently filter through while still shielding your space from prying eyes.
-
The two have already had a few chats away from prying eyes and shared a few kisses.
Cite this Entry
“Wresting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wresting. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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