Word
wrest
US/ˈɹɛst/
UK/ɹˈɛst/
Definition
v. to take something from someone with force or strong effort, even when they do not want to give it up. You often use it for control, power, or information.
v. to take or gain something, such as control, power, or information, by forceful effort from an unwilling holder or against resistance. Retains a sense of twisting or pulling away, as in wresting a weapon from someone's hands.
Examples
“She wrests control of the meeting from him.”
“After months of deadlock, the new mayor wrests the budget decision from the council.”
“Despite fierce opposition, the journalist wrests the truth from reluctant sources through persistent questioning.”
Examples
simple
“She wrests control of the meeting from him.”
contextual
“After months of deadlock, the new mayor wrests the budget decision from the council.”
complex
“Despite fierce opposition, the journalist wrests the truth from reluctant sources through persistent questioning.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “wrest” in context.
Verb
01. wrest away
“The challenger wrested away the title after twelve rounds.”
verb + particle
02. wrest back
“The party is fighting to wrest back seats it lost last year.”
verb + particle
03. wrest from
“She managed to wrest the gun from her attacker and escape.”
verb + prep
Adjective
04. finally wrest
“After a long siege, troops finally wrested control of the capital.”
adv + verb
05. successfully wrest
“The new CEO successfully wrested power from the old board.”
adv + verb
Noun
06. wrest confession
“Police wrested a confession from the suspect after hours.”
verb + noun
07. wrest control
“Rebels attempted to wrest control of the airport overnight.”
verb + noun
08. wrest information
“Analysts wrested sensitive information from encrypted files.”
verb + noun
09. wrest initiative
“The opposition wrested the initiative with bold reforms.”
verb + noun
10. wrest a confession from
“Detectives wrested a confession from the suspect.”
11. wrest back control of
“The board wrested back control of the company last month.”
12. wrest control from
“The army wrested control of the city from insurgents.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object, often followed by 'from' to mark the previous holder.
Real-World Examples
“A new U.N.-backed military force is fighting to wrest control of the Haitian capital from violent gangs.” “As Radiohead has grown in status and, so, gained in power, many of Yorke’s actions have been about wresting back control: from record companies, advertisers, branding companies, even from fans.” Etymology
From Middle English wresten, wrasten, wræsten, from Old English wrǣstan (“to twist forcibly, wrench”), from Proto-Germanic wraistijaną, (compare Proto-Germanic wrīhaną (“to turn, wind; to cover, envelop”), wrīþaną (“to weave, twist”), Old Norse reista (“to bend, twist”)), from a derivative of Proto-Indo-European wreiḱ-, wreyḱ- (“to bend, twist”), wreyt- (“to bend”). See also writhe, wry. The noun is derived from the verb.
Possibly a variant of wrist: see the quotation. Wrist is also derived from wrīþaną (“to weave, twist”), from a derivative of Proto-Indo-European wreiḱ-, wreyḱ- (“to bend, twist”), wreyt- (“to bend”).
A misspelling of rest, probably influenced by wrest (etymology 1, verb and noun).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/wrest