wrest

1
as in to pry
to draw out by force or with effort the boy wrested the book out of his sister's hands

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2
as in to extort
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

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

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4
5
as in to grab
to separate or remove by forceful pulling wrested open the stuck door of the cabinet

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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 wrest His 101 days in government have been stormy, and his series of interviews this week — including Wednesday’s session with reporters from major newspapers and television networks — appeared to be an effort to wrest back control of the messaging. Jonathan Swan, New York Times, 1 May 2025 The resolution is not the first Congressional attempt to wrest back power over tariffs from the White House. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 30 Apr. 2025 Whether an offensive will materialize in the coming weeks and months or prove capable of wresting any significant territory from the group remains to be seen. Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025 The prospect of the DeSantis administration wresting more control over the HBCU plays into longstanding anxieties that the state could cut into some of the university’s signature programs — or even merge the school with FSU, an idea lawmakers contemplated in the 1960s. Kate Payne, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
Verb
  • He should have been arrested right then and there for the FBI for trying to extort Natalie's mother.
    Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2025
  • Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, then alleged in a legal filing that Lively was attempting to extort a statement of support from Swift.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • It is earned—through trust, through transparency, and through service.
    Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers.
    Condé Nast, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • Brands began to pull together resources to support refugees.
    Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
  • The 13-minute performance will likely call for a healthy dose of vibrant, colored lighting to pull it all together.
    Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • Scott grabbed some pizza and returned to park her Subaru near the West Shore Market to wait for Serafini.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2025
  • Appeal To All Five Senses People still like going out, meeting others and grabbing coffee.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • The pilot, a 51-year-old man from Maple Park, was extracted from the plane and given emergency medical aid, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries on the scene, officials said.
    Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
  • The system extracts key data points in seconds—interpreting not just text but also images and tables—streamlining a process that once consumed thousands of human hours.
    Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • In some towns, utility poles were removed so the caravans could squeeze through.
    Angela Jackson, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • Hundreds of people squeezed into the Jewish Community Center in Boulder, Colo., for a vigil that featured prayer, singing and emotional testimony from a victim and witnesses of the firebombing attack in the city’s downtown, after a federal judge blocked the deportation of the suspect’s family.
    Colleen Slevin, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • Video footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows a heavy police presence on the strip.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
  • Avon teenager Suhayl Ahmed recently earned his Eagle Scout rank to become the first of Muslim faith in the town to obtain the Scouting America honor.
    Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • Noticing former Chicago Dogs teammate Harrison Smith, however, get ready before the game tugged at Crosby.
    Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2025
  • There are all sorts of toys out there for your dog, ranging from chew toys, to tug toys, comfort toys, and interactive ones, but which toy is best for your pup depends on their personality and play style.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

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