Definition of "wrest" []

• To obtain by or as if by pulling with violent twisting movements: wrested the book out of his hands; wrested the islands from the settlers. (verb-transitive)
• To usurp forcefully: wrested power from the monarchy. (verb-transitive)
• To extract by or as if by force, twisting, or persistent effort; wring: wrest the meaning from an obscure poem. (verb-transitive)
• To distort or twist the nature or meaning of: wrested the words out of context. (verb-transitive)
• To divert to an improper use; misapply. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The Republicans require wins in 39 districts to wrest from the Democrats control of the 435-member House."
• "The change in the rules of engagement might help, but with only 20,000 more troops I do not see our forces being able to independently hold ground we wrest from the Sunni, or especially the Shiite, insurgents (or "militias" if you prefer)."
• "Alaine screamed once and her body writhed, and then Tris felt the tortured spirit within wrest free of her prison."