wrests

Definition of wrestsnext
present tense third-person singular of wrest
1
2
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

3
as in earns
to get with great difficulty farmers who were used to wresting a living from the harsh land

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
5

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 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
  • Her The Kindred’s Curse Saga series follows healer Diem Bellator as the search for her missing mother pulls her into a growing civil war between the oppressed mortals of Emarion and the magic-wielding demigods known as the Descended.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Brown again pulls his hands away from the cops before Maden starts punching him.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Carmona brings tenacity, experience and the kind of calm, functional play style that earns camp opportunities.
    Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
  • The winner of this matchup earns the seventh playoff seed.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The immediacy of svn4vr’s arrangements always tugs the heartstrings.
    H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Young deftly tugs readers into an atmospheric novel perfect for spring book clubs.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Keep those rosary beads handy whenever Aaron Gordon grabs his hammy.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Maya Hawke grabs her guitar and gets in front of the mic at the SiriusXM Studios in New York City on April 13.
    Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • There are swooping close encounters with heavenly bodies, Lego blocks in antigravity mode and swarms of Separators, a sort of astro-anthropomorphic version of the tool that pries apart Lego bricks in real life.
    Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
  • The show’s biggest laugh may come when Testa pries open Costanzo’s mouth and pronounces just how many performances of Norma Galas has left.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • For the United States, the blockade squeezes Iran’s already weakened economy by denying it long-term cash flow.
    Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
  • The waves, which were first used in Boston in 2011, help spread things out so that runners don’t have to walk after the start, when Main Street in Hopkinton squeezes to just 39 feet wide.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Carrera now plucks the melody in single notes.
    Peter Wayne Moe, Longreads, 26 Mar. 2026
  • But if Rick later plucks something from behind that rock at the fire, are others going to start poking around looking for stuff?
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • As Detective Maden takes the wine bottle from him and the officers reach for his wrists, Brown resists and yanks his arms back, the video shows.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Leaphorn yanks the jug his way (despite being cuffed) and is able to put the filter packet down his pants.
    Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wrests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrests. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.

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