WRESTING Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

wresting 1 of 2

noun

as in twisting

a forceful rotating or pulling motion for the purpose of dislodging something no amount of wresting could loosen the rusted bolt

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wresting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of wrest

as in pulling

to draw out by force or with effort the boy wrested the book out of his sister's hands

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in extorting

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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as in earning

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

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as in yanking

to move by or as if by a forceful rotation I need a strong arm to wrest the lid off this pickle jar

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as in grabbing

to separate or remove by forceful pulling wrested open the stuck door of the cabinet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reattaching

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 wresting

Noun

In pitching his services, Prince discussed wresting control of gangs to allow major highways to reopen. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2025

Verb

The leader of the group, Lydell Henry, told our partners at the Baltimore Banner the fan group had so far raised $13,000 for his group, which teaches wresting and provides after-school support to low income youth. — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 French police rounded up thousands of Jews over two days in July 1942, wresting children from their mothers’ arms and dispatching everyone to Nazi death camps. — Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 The Smithsonian Institution, which oversees twenty-one museums, among other establishments, operates independently from the executive branch of the government, which makes wresting control over it more difficult. — News Desk, Artforum, 15 July 2026 In his first bout at 170 pounds, Makhachev cruised to a decision win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November 2025, easily wresting the UFC welterweight crown from Della Maddalena. — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 But skeptics of Elliott’s plans say there is little precedent in the modern era of municipalities, or even states, wresting control from private for-profit utilities. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026 One can picture a similar relief for Veeze, wresting control from the internet, letting his unfazed facade crack even if for just a moment. — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 2 June 2026 Vegas withstood an early barrage and then completely took over, defeating the top-seeded Avalanche 4-2 and wresting home-ice advantage away. — Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 21 May 2026 During a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Monday, April 27, Quinn was seen wresting the ball out of the Guardians fan’s hands. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wresting

Noun

To keep your dog safe, only tug from side to side as lifting the rope toy can damage your dog’s spine.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
If your toddler stubbornly digs their heels in, don’t allow yourself to be drawn into a potty training tug of war.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of tug

Verb

Why TikTok livestream selling can drive big sales Three forces are pulling sellers toward livestream commerce, and Duplantis’s numbers reflect all of them.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
Wildfire risk is pushing insurers to underwrite hotels based on physical resilience rather than location alone, and carriers are pulling back from some markets entirely.

— Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of pulling

Verb

In his report, Prescott said there is evidence substantiating the claim that Rodriguez-Mendez was extorting Guaranda.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
He is accused of extorting minors to write names on their naked skin, cut themselves and stick objects such as knives into their genitals.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of extorting

Verb

Some soldiers distinguished themselves by helping to render emergency trauma response and first aid to civilians, earning individual service commendations, according to the Arkansas National Guard.

— Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 29 Aug. 2026
As tuition climbs and federal oversight tightens on low-earning programs, a new tool lets families compare outcomes across California campuses.

— Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of earning

Verb

The episode feinted toward genuine rapprochement before yanking the rug out, leaving the Gang pelted with an industrial-grade indoor blizzard and then happily chucking rocks at passing trains, as was Mac and Charlie’s childhood tradition.

— Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
The tentacular Scylla is seen briefly but makes an impact, yanking sailors off Odysseus’s ship in a series of loud jump scares.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 July 2026

Definition of yanking

Verb

Two men bought tickets to enter Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) before smashing a display case, grabbing a 200-carat platinum and diamond necklace and walking away, police said Friday.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
In the commercial, Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark rushes over to his golf bag and pushes over golfer Alexis Miestowski to keep her from grabbing the Quantum Driver.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of grabbing

Noun

What an intriguing and clever twist on the classic bank heist narrative, with powerful female performances at its core by Carrie Crowley, Bríd Brennan and Eva-Jane Gaffney.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
The smashburger was the same as always, juicy and full of cheese, and the dill and pickle in the Caesar salad brought a bright and refreshing twist to the classic.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of twist

Verb

Spanning 42 feet long and more than 14 feet wide, the observatory is designed to explore the outer solar system and beyond – prying into previously unobservable areas of the universe to study dark energy and search for exoplanets.

— Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
This is an uncomplicated yarn about a man prying open his heart and nudging other hard nuts to do the same.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of prying

Browse Nearby Words

wrested

wresting

wrestle

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Style

“Wresting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wresting. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of wresting

noun

verb

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