wrested; wresting; wrests
1
: to pull, force, or move by violent wringing or twisting movements
2
: to gain with difficulty by or as if by force, violence, or determined labor
Synonyms
Examples of wrest in a Sentence
Verb
He tried to wrest control of the company from his uncle.
the boy wrested the book out of his sister's hands
Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
And of course, backing out of a decades-old deal and trying to wrest the canal back by force from an ally would be a propaganda goldmine for Russia and China which have both called for maintaining neutrality in the canal.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
Al Wolter, Outdoor Life, 10 Jan. 2025
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes injured his ankle Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, possibly giving the Bills a shot to make up their two-game deficit in the standings and wrest away the AFC’s top seed.
—Tim Graham, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wrest 
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Verb
Two of the 3-pointers by Warner came early in the third quarter as Batavia finally wrested control.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
And of course, backing out of a decades-old deal and trying to wrest the canal back by force from an ally would be a propaganda goldmine for Russia and China which have both called for maintaining neutrality in the canal.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
Noun
Current efforts by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to wrest management of the wolf from the federal government may succeed.
—Al Wolter, Outdoor Life, 10 Jan. 2025
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes injured his ankle Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, possibly giving the Bills a shot to make up their two-game deficit in the standings and wrest away the AFC’s top seed.
—Tim Graham, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wrest
Dictionary Entries Near wrest
Cite this Entry
“Wrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrest. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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