WRESTS Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

wrests

verb

present tense third-person singular of wrest

as in pulls

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

as in extorts

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

as in earns

to get with great difficulty farmers who were used to wresting a living from the harsh land

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in tugs

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

as in grabs

to separate or remove by forceful pulling wrested open the stuck door of the cabinet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reattaches

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of wrests If New England somehow wrests the divison away from Buffalo, Vrabel gets serious consideration. — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 Like everything else that works here, Brie’s performance wrests the last scraps of freshness from a mode of filmmaking this movie knows is played out, but doesn’t have the particular strength to reinvent. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 June 2026 Here, the director wrests a radioactive joy from observing Godard generate ideas with his ensemble, even as others pull their hair out around him. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025 Seattle fans can already envision a future where a one-loss Seahawks team wrests control of the division away from Los Angeles in early November, but Tampa Bay has to be the first domino to fall. — J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrests

Verb

Napoleon is in his head guiding him, and partway through, another voice joins that pulls him somewhere else entirely.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Stoliker also points out that there’s evidence that giving someone a task mid-trip pulls them out of the state—a phenomenon researchers sometimes call grounding.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of pulls

Verb

That wrestling match itself, however, makes for compelling theater about as often as the camel squeezes through the needle.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
The jobs market has been resilient even as stubbornly high inflation squeezes businesses and households.

— Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of squeezes

Verb

Final Thoughts The Bluetti Elite 300 delivers an impressive balance of high capacity, dense portability, and real-world versatility that easily earns it our Editors' Choice award.

— Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
The next question is whether a higher-tech wearable actually earns a spot on your nightstand.

— Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of earns

Verb

The film cannily tugs on the heartstrings, pulls off classic slapstick comedy and sneaks obscure film references into its visuals.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Just across the state line, Alabama’s DeSoto State Park and Little River Canyon are also wonderful for stunning views, hikes and whatever else tugs your trotline.

— Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026

Definition of tugs

Verb

By fields of cotton and soybeans where his bees forage and pollinate, Foster Hensel pries open the lid of one of his beehives, setting off a rising hum from inside.

— Drew Hawkins, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Remove the 11 Philips-head screws on the bottom of the laptop, and its bottom pries up with a bit of pressure.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of pries

Verb

Bass wrings both roteness and refinement out of examining the road to the altar.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
The intensity of the crowds vary from stop to stop (Czech came ready to rage at Rock for People in June), but Halsey persistently wrings herself out.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of wrings

Verb

Trump sometimes plucks memes from a sprawling ecosystem of online conservative supporters, and sometimes his government staff produces them as part of their official messaging.

— Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
His torso and thighs grow eye-poppingly muscular beneath their skimpy fur-and-leather togs—a development that does not go unnoticed by a warrior named Red Hair, who plucks the young hunk from his post and tosses him into the prime time of the gladiator pit.

— Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 15 June 2026