exerting

verb

present participle of exert
as in applying
to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively parental involvement has consistently been shown to exert the most influence over a child's success in school

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 exerting In an interview with Fox News' Trey Yingst, Kushner said the president was focused on exerting economic pressure on Iran and ensuring Tehran cannot build a nuclear weapon. — August 18, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 Congress should also reestablish more authority over the United States’ wars, first by exerting more power over military spending. — Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026 Concurrently, the management indicated that HBM was already exerting pressure on the supply of non-HBM. — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Instead, in the late 19th century, Japan started to build its own empire, exerting influence over Korea as well as Manchuria, an important area of modern-day China that borders Korea, Russia and Mongolia. — Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026 The dynamic underscores how Trump continues to view tariffs as a tool for exerting pressure, both for trade grievances and as leverage in broader negotiations. — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 But sometimes just thinking about tackling those jobs can feel exhausting, creating a barrier to success even for people who are highly motivated to improve their homes and their lives by exerting control over their belongings. — Jolie Kerr, Washington Post, 18 July 2026 Getting your hands dirty with charcoal, tweaking vents and chimneys to stop chunks of oak from flaring up and destroying your brisket, exerting your will over the heat inside a big metal box; barbecue takes a lot of practice. — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026 Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was not a new way of exerting and expanding power. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exerting
  1. applying
  2. using
  3. wielding
  4. exercising
Verb
  • Instead of a pomade stick, Tauber recommends using Oribe Gel Sérum on coils, applying a generous amount around the hairline before smoothing it back with a boar bristle brush.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Before applying, make sure the lender offers loans for your specific trade school or career program.
    — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of applying
Verb
  • In Texas, lawmakers have been exploring a ban on foreign nationals using Texas surrogates – a move surrogacy experts worry could be the first step toward a statewide ban on the practice.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The Triglav Lodge, Slovenia's highest-altitude guest hut at an elevation of 2,515 meters (8,251 feet), is using paper plates this summer to save water on dishes.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of using
Verb
  • Police said a man wielding a butcher's knife advanced toward officers, prompting them to open fire, killing him.
    — Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Oakland police released footage Wednesday of a deadly police shooting in mid-July, when two of its officers opened fire on a man who was wielding knives affixed to long metal poles in the city’s Fruitvale District.
    — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of wielding
Verb
  • More recently, former 5 News presenter Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije sued ITN over allegations of sexism, racial harassment, unfair dismissal, and suffering a detriment due to exercising her whistleblowing rights.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Eating a healthy diet, managing your stress and exercising regularly are all considered good starting points.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of exercising

Browse Nearby Words

exerted
exerting
exertion
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exerting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exerting. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on exerting

Nglish: Translation of exerting for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All