1
as in to pry
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
2
3
4
5
as in to grab
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 wrest
In 2005, a handful of libertarians attempted, with little success, to wrest control of the government.
—
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
The rise of hip-hop and the films of Spike Lee in the late 1980s and early 1990s forced a revival of Malcolm X, a reclaiming of him by Black America, wrested from his historical framing by the white mainstream, which during his time did not love him.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Ja'Quan McMillian wrested the ball from Bills receiver Brandin Cooks as the two tumbled to the ground in overtime.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
McMillian wrested the ball away from Brandin Cooks at the Broncos 20-yard line when a field goal would have won the game for Buffalo (13-6).
—Arnie Stapleton, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrest
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
The rise of hip-hop and the films of Spike Lee in the late 1980s and early 1990s forced a revival of Malcolm X, a reclaiming of him by Black America, wrested from his historical framing by the white mainstream, which during his time did not love him.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Ja'Quan McMillian wrested the ball from Bills receiver Brandin Cooks as the two tumbled to the ground in overtime.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
McMillian wrested the ball away from Brandin Cooks at the Broncos 20-yard line when a field goal would have won the game for Buffalo (13-6).
—Arnie Stapleton, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
Verb
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Clayton said Taylor also used his NYPD influence to try to extort at least two other business owners for payments.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
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The traveler confessed to extorting others to commit self-harm, the memo said.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services.—
USA Today staff,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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Beyond her performances, Russo has earned critical recognition as a songwriter.—
Kristen Wisneski,
Billboard,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But looming is the question of whether the federal immigration officers who pulled the triggers in both cases actually broke the law, a question that will come down to complicated issues that are much harder to define than the outrage that prompted calls for accountability.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Morato also failed to connect with a golden opportunity to pull a goal back, shortly before Lorenzo Lucca finally did.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Similarly, Bad Bunny also stopped at a piraguas cart recreation and briefly grabbed a frozen dessert.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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His piece of genius separated the sides entering the 84th minute but during a chaotic finale, the hosts conspired to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At the slime making station, guests will have the option to add scents extracted from real flowers.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
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Microbes could be the future space miners, helping humans survive on long-term missions by extracting mineral resources from extraterrestrial rocks.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Impacciatore, squeezed into a skin-tight Power Rangers suit, performed an entire clowning routine where she’s accosted by abstract embodiments of various winter sports throughout history.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2026
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Sometimes, producers work with players to squeeze their take into the allotted time.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In response, Cecil Howard, the associate provost and interim dean of the law school, on Monday issued a message to students, obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, that said the word was not restricted and that the university’s leadership had not issued the directive.—
Natalia Jaramillo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
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Her boyfriend told detectives that Gutiérrez was hit by a bullet fired from a vehicle in a drive-by shooting, according to a summary of a police interview obtained by the Tribune.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The result is many annoyed fan owners tugging vigorously on the chain, only to have their fan suddenly turn into an in-home airplane propeller.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
5 Feb. 2026
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After a few demonstrations, Destiny tugged the cord the way Carol showed us, and the bike roared to life.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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