exerts

verb

present tense third-person singular of exert
as in applies
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 exerts Systolic blood pressure is the first or top number in your blood pressure reading, which measures the pressure your blood is exerts against your artery walls. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 14 Oct. 2026 Blurred boundaries Measuring global functional connectivity—how much influence each patch of cortex exerts over the rest—the team found that, when participants had their eyes closed, sensory regions lost sway while associative regions gained. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 Oct. 2026 In 1961, however, studies in animals revealed that clozapine acts primarily as a sedative and exerts its effects without inducing muscle rigidity, as previous antipsychotics had. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026 Fee remains haunted by his first love for Peter, which exerts a power over his life that feels like fate. — Garth Greenwell, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026 This serves as the White House's central argument against the latest rate hike, while underscoring that Federal Reserve policy exerts asymmetric impacts across different global economies under current conditions. — CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026 Nothing if not original, Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard casts Kate and Rooney Mara as Irish sisters who speak, think and move in unison, an impressive feat of disciplined acting that exerts its own peculiar fascination. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026 Hydrostatic pressure – the force water naturally exerts against the body – may also help reduce mild swelling in the legs and support healthy circulation during exercise. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026 Simply put, when one object exerts a force on another, the second one exerts an equal and opposite force in return. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exerts
  1. applies
  2. uses
  3. wields
Verb
  • The approach applies manufacturing practices to research and development, allowing engineers and machinists to modify components and processes quickly as designs evolve.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The event’s organizer argues the law applies to contests between people, not robots.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of applies
Verb
  • Jerry Turner, founder of the nonprofit Jahri's World, uses music, movement and dance to connect with children, including those with disabilities, while bringing families together.
    — Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The fix can be effective for some tasks, analysts say, but uses significantly more electricity.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of uses
Verb
  • Sometimes, the company wields similar ingredients and frontiers differently across brands to make an impact.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • If Democrats take even one chamber of Congress, that will translate into gridlock in Washington, where a Republican White House wields veto power over any assertive legislation, which would reassure the tech industry.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of wields

Browse Nearby Words

exertions
exerts
exes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exerts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exerts. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All