wrest
[rest]
- to twist or turn; pull, jerk, or force by a violent twist.
- to take away by force: to wrest a knife from a child.
- to get by effort: to wrest a living from the soil.
- to twist or turn from the proper course, application, use, meaning, or the like; wrench.
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- a wresting; twist or wrench.
- a key or small wrench for tuning stringed musical instruments, as the harp or piano, by turning the pins to which the strings are fastened.
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Origin of wrest
before 1000; (v.) Middle English wresten, Old English wrǣstan; cognate with Old Norse reista; akin to wrist; (noun) Middle English: a wresting, derivative of the v.
Synonyms
See more synonyms for wrest on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for wrest
Contemporary Examples
She could never seem to wrest free any back royalties, but she always seemed to owe back taxes.
The military made an aggressive push to wrest control over drone targeting decisions away from the president.
Robert Shrum on the four tricks the GOP might use to wrest back control.
Jade asked Strong if she was ever at a loss for ideas and if so, how she might wrest herself from a slump.
The answer is to occupy the Tea Party—and wrest it from the grumpy old men who currently run it.
Historical Examples
He must see who his captive was, wrest from him the heart of the mystery.
Pirates of the GormNat Schachner
Formerly she would have liked to wrest by force from heaven the secrets of destiny.
Doctor PascalEmile Zola
By concession, we may be all we strive for, but never could wrest by force.
The Daltons, Volume I (of II)Charles James Lever
At the very moment of possessing you some miracle will wrest you from my arms.
The Memoires of Casanova, CompleteJacques Casanova de Seingalt
And what is more, I'll do it too, in order to wrest my friends from their clutches!
wrest
- to take or force away by violent pulling or twisting
- to seize forcibly by violent or unlawful means
- to obtain by laborious effort
- to distort in meaning, purpose, etc
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- the act or an instance of wresting
- archaic a small key used to tune a piano or harp
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Word Origin
Old English wrǣstan; related to Old Norse reista. See writhe
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for wrest
v.
Old English wræstan "to twist, wrench," from Proto-Germanic *wraistijanan (cf. Old Norse reista "to bend, twist"), derivative of *wrig-, *wreik- "to turn" (see wry). Meaning "to pull, detach" (something) is recorded from c.1300. Meaning "to take by force" (in reference to power, authority, etc.) is attested from early 15c. Related: Wrested; wresting.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper