as in applying
to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively
parental involvement has consistently been shown to exert the most influence over a child's success in school
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Recent Examples of exerting
Moreover, Lonesome Dove brings to bear a classical judgment of humanity as hostage to circumstance destiny, in the end, exerting its will with certainty, a grip that no man, however spirited, ever eludes.
—
Miles Beller, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
Part of the reason Trump is so keen on exerting greater control over the Fed is its power over the value of money.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
One climate indicator already exerting a strong influence on insurers and reinsurers is ocean conditions, particularly sea surface temperatures.
—Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Independence is exerting its local authority to add some restrictions to development agreements between the city and outside agencies.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
The stringent businessman makes Marty suffer and grovel for his money, at one point exerting his power by spanking the young man’s bare bottom with a wooden ping-pong paddle.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
African leaders who are keen on exerting greater control over massive health budgets are likely to ignore the potential downsides of any agreements.
—Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
This latest lawsuit accuses Epic of exerting its power as a market leader to exclude competitors and protect its market dominance, at the expense of hospitals and patients who might otherwise benefit from competitors' innovations.
—Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 16 Dec. 2025
The war in Ukraine should be Europeanized so that Europe can police its own region and keep Russia from exerting outsize influence beyond its borders.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2025
Miles Beller, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
Part of the reason Trump is so keen on exerting greater control over the Fed is its power over the value of money.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
One climate indicator already exerting a strong influence on insurers and reinsurers is ocean conditions, particularly sea surface temperatures.
—Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Independence is exerting its local authority to add some restrictions to development agreements between the city and outside agencies.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
The stringent businessman makes Marty suffer and grovel for his money, at one point exerting his power by spanking the young man’s bare bottom with a wooden ping-pong paddle.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
African leaders who are keen on exerting greater control over massive health budgets are likely to ignore the potential downsides of any agreements.
—Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
This latest lawsuit accuses Epic of exerting its power as a market leader to exclude competitors and protect its market dominance, at the expense of hospitals and patients who might otherwise benefit from competitors' innovations.
—Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 16 Dec. 2025
The war in Ukraine should be Europeanized so that Europe can police its own region and keep Russia from exerting outsize influence beyond its borders.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exerting
Verb
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Newton will be restricted from rejoining the department or even applying for private security license that is authorized by the Board of Police Commissioners.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
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That includes explaining decisions clearly in open court, applying the law impartially, and upholding the highest standards of judicial ethics.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The reversal follows a string of high-profile shootings involving federal immigration agents in which eyewitness statements and video evidence have called into question claims made to justify using deadly force.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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The probe was delayed from 2022, and headed for the asteroid Psyche, using a Mars-gravity assist and not arriving until August 2029.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But wielding a multi-ton missile in an environment full of them takes plenty of mental and physical load.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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Patrick, a former state senator and conservative talk radio host from Houston, has held the lieutenant governor’s office for 10 years, wielding enormous control over the legislative agenda and the fate of bills in the Texas Senate.—
Karen Brooks Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Defenders, meanwhile, counter that conservatives are trying to stop people from exercising their right to vote for similarly partisan reasons.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
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Citizens executed in the street for exercising their right to free speech?—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exerting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exerting. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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