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
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Recent Examples of wresting
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wresting
Verb
-
Over and over, the department has used the threat of pulling federal funding to force compliance with new directives and rapid shifts in policy.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
8 Oct. 2025
-
After pulling her daughter out of public school, Thompson enrolled Meadow in Fortune Academy and eventually became its director of development.—
Tory Basile,
IndyStar,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And in response, the Maduro regime is extorting them by holding their nationals in prison and forcing them to engage with the Maduro regime for their release.—
Manuel Rueda,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Taxi and bus drivers, meanwhile, say gangs are extorting them for money and that the government is not doing enough to intervene.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
More recent parody country music songs have pushed Hays to the top of the Spotify and Apple Music charts, earning her in all nearly five million followers and over three billion social media platform views.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Elsewhere, actors like Anne Hathaway have admitted to struggling career-wise after earning the ire of social media.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the footage, a uniformed officer is seen forcibly grabbing the female passenger’s arm and yanking her towards the aisle.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Stern is one of several high-profile entertainments hosts who have condemned ABC and Disney for yanking Kimmel off the air.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Securing the Shield ensures the top seed for Philly and home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup playoffs for a team that has quietly gone about a consistent season without grabbing much in the way of attention.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Without strangers lunging at her and grabbing her forearm.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
-
There is a tug of war underway for their hearts and minds.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
According to Alixandra, who didn't share her surname, Sparrow masterminded her own midnight feast by toppling the feeder and prying off the lid.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
This is about creating a childhood away from prying eyes, giving his children the space and support to enjoy being children without a care in the world.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But, to do you any good, squeezing the veins must propel the blood in the right direction, toward the heart.—
Bryant Stamford,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The earbuds are controlled by squeezing the stem.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wresting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wresting. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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