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 There is an opportunity to wrest a positive outcome from the current tumult. Emily Kilcrease, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2025 Jolly formally announced his bid Thursday, becoming the latest party convert hoping to wrest back control of what had been the country's premier swing state before shifting hard to the right in recent years. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025 To survive, much less thrive, tomorrow’s organizations would do well to wrest back the power of AI. Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 Rumors suggested that the czar’s extended family, perhaps Paul or the dowager empress, would wrest power from Nicholas. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
Verb
  • Gangs have long extorted businesses in the neighborhood and terrorized everyone else — including immigrants.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
  • Ashe imagined a hypothetical scenario in which the school’s security force became like Haiti’s notorious secret police, the Tonton Macoute, whose officers not only threatened newspaper reporters, but also assaulted, extorted and tortured innocent citizens.
    David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • The sandy shores are combed for seaweed and trash nightly, which earned the town a Blue Wave certification.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 15 July 2025
  • Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese earned themselves nods for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for The Studio.
    Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 15 July 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
  • Order fish tacos or fresh salads at Bad Boy Burrito; grab at coffee at Cafe Moka; shop for clothing and gifts at Miss Monroe Boutique; and browse the open-air stalls at boo kee sue Botanics for handmade textiles, ceramics, and more.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 12 July 2025
  • To find your nearest 7-Eleven and grab a free Slurpee, search the store locator on 7-Eleven's website.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • Before 1962, the maximum legal barrel entry proof was 110, but Stitzel-Weller went much further during production to extract and preserve as much flavor as possible.
    Chris Perugini, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • By crushing bones and boiling them to extract grease, Neanderthals tapped into a rich energy source, using techniques once thought to belong only to much later human groups.
    Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • Kalvin Phillips squeezes a pass through the gap and into Omari Hutchinson, taking three Forest players out of the game.
    Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 July 2025
  • Marlene alleged her son grabbed and started to squeeze her throat.
    Christine Pelisek, People.com, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • He was accused of running a scheme to illegally pay kickbacks in order to receive Medicare patients, but prosecutors dropped the charges after a judge rule key evidence had been obtained improperly, according to records reviewed by CNN.
    Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 15 July 2025
  • In recent years, Iain has taken his life to new heights — literally — by obtaining his student pilot's license.
    Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Unable to transfer the 10 passengers to the rescue boat, the police officers began to tug the MasterCraft toward Keys Marina.
    Ethan Wolin Updated July 4, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2025
  • Tesla tugged on the market as the relationship between its chief executive, Elon Musk, and President Trump soured even further.
    Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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