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
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Recent Examples of exerts
The devastating, almost sadistic hold Ruben exerts over the mostly masochistic Niall is gripping — but hard — to watch.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026
Empirical research on the relation between sources and journalists has often referred to the tango metaphor to ask who exerts greater influence in shaping the news.
—Florian Wintterlin, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
The new data comes as the Iran war has strangled the global supply chain as Iran exerts its control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-third of global fertilizer shipments flowed before the war.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
In athletes, fat stored in muscle — predominantly in muscle fiber droplets — is an important energy reserve that the body taps into when a person exerts an extraordinary amount of energy.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 14 Apr. 2026
The 34 states suing Live Nation and Ticketmaster made one last push to convince the jurors that company — with its dominant position in ticketing, concert promotions, and venues — exerts outsized control compared to its competitors.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
Coming up today for Day Five of the mission, Orion officially enters the lunar sphere of influence—where the moon’s gravity exerts a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth’s gravity does.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 5 Apr. 2026
His potential candidacy exerts a kind of gravitational pull.
—Sam Mkokeli, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Their shapes often distort as one galaxy exerts tidal forces on the other.
—Big Think, 30 Mar. 2026
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026
Empirical research on the relation between sources and journalists has often referred to the tango metaphor to ask who exerts greater influence in shaping the news.
—Florian Wintterlin, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
The new data comes as the Iran war has strangled the global supply chain as Iran exerts its control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-third of global fertilizer shipments flowed before the war.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
In athletes, fat stored in muscle — predominantly in muscle fiber droplets — is an important energy reserve that the body taps into when a person exerts an extraordinary amount of energy.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 14 Apr. 2026
The 34 states suing Live Nation and Ticketmaster made one last push to convince the jurors that company — with its dominant position in ticketing, concert promotions, and venues — exerts outsized control compared to its competitors.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
Coming up today for Day Five of the mission, Orion officially enters the lunar sphere of influence—where the moon’s gravity exerts a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth’s gravity does.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 5 Apr. 2026
His potential candidacy exerts a kind of gravitational pull.
—Sam Mkokeli, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Their shapes often distort as one galaxy exerts tidal forces on the other.
—Big Think, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exerts
Verb
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The automatic discount also applies to all purchases made on the Free People app—no minimum purchase required.—
Hannah Chubb,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Apr. 2026
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Even once the standard is set, the 2027 deadline applies to creating the rule, not putting the technology in cars right away.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The lab uses seawater to wash the aquariums.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
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For example, exercise helps lower triglycerides – a type of fat in your blood that your body uses for energy, but can raise your risk of heart disease when levels are too high.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That might not be an issue in college, where the coach — especially a successful one — still typically wields the most power in the program.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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As pontiff, Leo wields incredible power and influence — but in truth, the message isn’t new.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exerts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exerts. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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