wrested

past tense of wrest
1
2
as in extorted
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
5

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 wrested In 1968, Palestinians resurrected an independence movement that wrested decision making away from Egypt and other Arab countries that had been humiliated in the Six-Day War. Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025 But still, the record is a spiritual victory, full of wisdom wrested from audible pain. Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrested
Verb
  • The complaint alleges that Moseley interfered with her players’ mental health treatment, pried into players’ personal and romantic lives and threatened players about scholarships and playing time.
    Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025
  • The linchpin isn't just at risk; it's being actively pried loose.
    Scott White, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The neo-noir thriller, which is an adaptation of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, follows David King (Washington), a successful music executive who gets extorted by an up-and-coming rapper (A$AP Rocky).
    Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Velasco's wife, a teacher who earned her doctorate alongside him, pushed him to change his approach.
    Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The scene touched the hearts of viewers and earned rave reviews from critics.
    Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • They were pulled from the Red Barn, a local landmark dating to the early 1900s in this small community southwest of the Keweenaw Peninsula.
    Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Advertisement Advertisement Season 3 was the series’ most volatile yet, with every storyline pulled taut to the breaking point.
    JP Mangalindan, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • One partygoer grabbed a fragrance and practically bathed in the smokey orange accords of Rendez-Vous Ivory.
    Essence, Essence, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Natalia’s story grabbed the attention of the public in 2019 when Indiana prosecutors leveled charges against the Barnetts for allegedly neglecting a dependent.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Until George Springer yanked a 450-foot fly to the left-field bleachers, the lineup was ostensibly silent.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The same words apply to the title character at the film‘s center, the inscrutable and seemingly unscrupulous Hedda Gabler (a magnetic Tessa Thompson), here yanked firmly from the late 20th century setting of Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play into the ’50s, and not missing a single trick along the way.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The shakeups are the latest at a time when restaurants are squeezed between a labor shortage, rising food prices and a loss of customers as diners cut back on spending.
    Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025
  • For now, the three youngest each sleep in their own pack-and-plays squeezed into their parents’ bedroom.
    Jeff Truesdell, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • His scraggly beard seems grown to be wrenched.
    Roy Scranton August 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrested. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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