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
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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
-
Instead, his impact, like pulling children into his winner's circle, will continue to be honored by other tracks.—
Stephanie Kuzydym,
The Courier-Journal,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Carpenter spoke with Morning Edition host Leila Fadel about the challenges of relationships, her controversial album cover, which depicts her kneeling beside a man who is pulling her hair, and the new songs featured on the album.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Google also stated that ShinyHunters commonly uses an attack tactic of extorting victims using emails or telephone calls demanding bitcoin ransom payments within 72 hours of compromise.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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He was charged in May 2024 with extorting contractors on school construction projects and then accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from those companies.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As of 2025, Gen Z travelers are likely to take longer trips than their millennial counterparts, despite being younger and statistically earning less.—
Acacia Gabriel,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Sep. 2025
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Torres played last season at Burleson Centennial, earning District 7-5A Division I Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors after passing for more than 2,000 yards.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But some lawmakers say that argument is baseless and that yanking the grants has left the state less equipped to prevent tragedies like this week’s attack at Annunciation Catholic School.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
30 Aug. 2025
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See, for example, Trump yanking the security clearances of former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Chris Krebs for his defense of the 2020 election as securely run.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
More than a month after his death, Ozzy Osbourne’s music has largely slipped away from the Billboard charts following the headline-grabbing news that one of rock’s founding fathers had passed away.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When the state attorney’s office steps in, the prosecution pushes back, resulting in a legal and political tug of war that thrusts Adnan’s case into chaotic uncertainty.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
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Several noted that his instinctive tug had likely prevented the pair from colliding with the elk.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
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But such players tend to make these adjustments in the course of many weeks, on private practice courts in Delray or Monaco or Abu Dhabi, far from TV cameras and prying journalists.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Row the dumbbell up towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
8 Sep. 2025
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While startups occasionally push boundaries with optimization techniques—squeezing more efficiency out of existing silicon—barriers to entry are overwhelmingly high.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wresting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wresting. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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