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 Trump wrested control over the National Guard troops from California Gov. Gavin Newsom to deploy 2,000 to Los Angeles after less than 24 hours of protests across the city. Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for wrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrest
Verb
  • In 2023 South Carolina passed a bill called Gavin's Law that criminalized extorting minors or at-risk adults.
    Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
  • The goal is to steal confidential data and install ransomware to extort victim companies for millions in return.
    Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Brosnahan earned widespread recognition and her first Emmy nomination for guest starring as Rachel Posner on House of Cards.
    Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 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
  • Leave your troubles behind and grab a lime, because Thursday is National Tequila Day.
    Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025
  • Concerned, the roommates grabbed golf clubs from one of the first-floor bedrooms and checked the house for a possible intruder.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 24 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
  • The Euro 2025 quarter-finals had late drama, with Italy squeezing past Norway, a comeback out of nowhere from England, and a farcical penalty shootout win over Sweden.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 20 July 2025
  • Then, squeeze your Magic Eraser a few times to activate the foaming bubbles.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 20 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
  • While many trucking companies routinely preserve their driver's phone for forensic examination, defense attorneys face significant challenges obtaining the same evidence from plaintiffs.
    Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Adam Cole, the previous TNT Champion, tugged at the audience’s heartstrings, announcing his indefinite leave of absence due to health issues.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2025
  • Refocusing Sustainability In my experience, staying grounded is important in a time when business leaders are being tugged between the hard financial realities of environmental fallout and the increasing number of legislative proposals that could restrict the use of ESG criteria in investments.
    Morten Johansen, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrest. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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