exerted; exerting; exerts
1
a
: to put forth (strength, effort, etc.)
the force is exerted sideways
b
: to put (oneself) into action or to tiring effort
won't have to exert himself moving the table
2
: to bring to bear especially with sustained effort or lasting effect
exerted a bad influence on his students
Examples of exert in a Sentence
He had to exert all of his strength to move the stone.
He exerts a lot of influence on the other members of the committee.
the force exerted by the machine
Recent Examples on the Web
Without explicitly mentioning it, Japan may also be trying to exert pressure on the Biden administration to allow Nippon Steel, a Japanese corporation, to acquire U.S. Steel, the struggling manufacturer based in Pittsburgh.
—
Motoko Rich, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Some continue to exert outsized influence on African and Western governments, the media, and NGOs, shaping how the international community regards Rwanda’s current government.
—Jonathan M. Hansen, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
The recent shipping disaster in Baltimore might not exert much impact on crude oil supplies and prices, as that port doesn’t rank among the top 10 for oil shipments, according to DTS World Cargo Services.
—The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Security analysts say most electoral violence tends to occur at municipal level, where gangs exert pressure to influence the outcome in the hope of securing more control over drug trafficking and other criminal rackets.
—Reuters, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Amid the stalemate, questions remain about what more Biden can do to exert pressure on Netanyahu and how the administration could potentially hold Israel accountable for an invasion of Rafah.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024
Most embroidery pattern books were written by men, and in rejecting these patterns (and sentiments), women exerted power and emotional authority, while treading the line between masculine authoritativeness and female passivity.
—Pragya Agarwal, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
But what is clear, according to the study, is that despite polar ice melt exerting a slowing influence, overall the Earth’s rotation is speeding up.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
Instead of giving the 49ers a sliver of hope, Arizona exerted immediate control as two baskets by Keshad Johnson pushed the six-point margin to 10.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
Motoko Rich, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Some continue to exert outsized influence on African and Western governments, the media, and NGOs, shaping how the international community regards Rwanda’s current government.
—Jonathan M. Hansen, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
The recent shipping disaster in Baltimore might not exert much impact on crude oil supplies and prices, as that port doesn’t rank among the top 10 for oil shipments, according to DTS World Cargo Services.
—The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Security analysts say most electoral violence tends to occur at municipal level, where gangs exert pressure to influence the outcome in the hope of securing more control over drug trafficking and other criminal rackets.
—Reuters, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Amid the stalemate, questions remain about what more Biden can do to exert pressure on Netanyahu and how the administration could potentially hold Israel accountable for an invasion of Rafah.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024
Most embroidery pattern books were written by men, and in rejecting these patterns (and sentiments), women exerted power and emotional authority, while treading the line between masculine authoritativeness and female passivity.
—Pragya Agarwal, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
But what is clear, according to the study, is that despite polar ice melt exerting a slowing influence, overall the Earth’s rotation is speeding up.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
Instead of giving the 49ers a sliver of hope, Arizona exerted immediate control as two baskets by Keshad Johnson pushed the six-point margin to 10.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exert.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near exert
Cite this Entry
“Exert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exert. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exert
verb
ex·ert
ig-ˈzərt 
1
: to put forth (as strength)
the force exerted by a machine
: bring into use or action
exert influence
2
: to put (oneself) into action or to tiring effort
don't exert yourself too much
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