exert
verb
ex·​ert
| \ ig-ˈzərt
\
\
exerted;
exerting;
exerts
Definition of exert
1a
: 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
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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
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Recent Examples on the Web
The person who holds the post can exert deep influence over everything from traffic violations to murder trials. — Lisa Donovan, chicagotribune.com, "The Spin: How Mayor Lori Lightfoot, team wrote the big speech | J.B. Pritzker fractures thigh bone | Sasha Obama heads to University of Michigan," 29 Aug. 2019 Such rapid population growth will exert considerable stress on the continent’s available water resources, worsening the already acute water scarcity situation. — Aondover Tarhule, The Conversation, "We use satellites to measure water scarcity," 13 Aug. 2019 The Left’s favorite boogeymen — the Koch brothers and the Mercers of the world — are fully capable of exerting influence on the political process by other means. — Nate Hochman, National Review, "Progressives’ Push for Campaign-Finance ‘Reform’ Is a Blatant, Frontal Assault on Free-Speech Rights," 1 Aug. 2019 Still, even as modes of exerting influence have proliferated, regulators should be judicious with the label of lobbyist, said Susan Lerner, the director of Common Cause’s New York arm. — Vivian Wang, New York Times, "Abuse Victim’s 3 Billboards Called for Stronger Laws. Then the State Showed Up.," 31 July 2019 Cypriot officials accuse Turkey of using the minority Turkish Cypriots in order to pursue its goal of exerting control over the eastern Mediterranean region. — Washington Post, "Turkey: EU sanctions over gas drilling ‘worthless’," 16 July 2019 Also, swelling and shrinkage in the sheath, which is farthest from the center of the fiber, will exert more leverage than equivalent changes near the fiber’s core. — Sid Perkins, Scientific American, "A New Twist on Artificial Muscles," 11 July 2019 Memorable images, easily grasped and capable of exerting a strong popular appeal—these are the qualities of the paintings known in France as belonging to the juste milieu, the middle of the road. — James Fenton, The New York Review of Books, "Nasty & Nice," 9 May 2019 An encounter at the checkpoint with an Israeli captain, Assi (Yaniv Biton), catapults Salam to a new job as a writer, with the secret condition that Assi will exert control over the script. — Nora Mcgreevy, BostonGlobe.com, "In ‘Tel Aviv on Fire,’ soap opera meets Middle Eastern politics," 15 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exert.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for exert
exert
verb
English Language Learners Definition of exert
: to use (strength, ability, etc.)
: to cause (force, effort, etc.) to have an effect or to be felt
See the full definition for exert in the English Language Learners Dictionary
exert
verb
ex·​ert
| \ ig-ˈzərt
\
\
exerted;
exerting
Kids Definition of exert
1
: to put forth (as strength) : bring into use
He exerted force to open the jar.
2
: to make an effort
She exerts herself to help others.
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