wield
verb (used with object)
to exercise (power, authority, influence, etc.), as in ruling or dominating.
had wielded
-
past perfectof wield.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Few Americans had wielded more influence in China than Kissinger, whose trip to Beijing in the shadow of the Cold War paved the way for President Nixon’s 1972 visit and the normalization of U.S.-China relations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
But there was no witness or forensic evidence to back up Hayes’ claim that Smith had wielded or fired a weapon.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 22, 2024
Unfortunately for Boehner, he also discovered that the speaker’s office no longer afforded him the unmitigated power some of his predecessors had wielded.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2021
“So that’s what killed the dinosaurs,” said Alec Madoff, a senior preparator at the museum who had wielded the saw that felled the dinosaur.
From New York Times ● Jan. 13, 2016
Growing up, they had wielded axes and fishing gaffs and pitchforks expertly, and they had built up strong arms and broad shoulders doing so.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
