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
For those participating in sports or otherwise exerting a lot of energy, Gilbert recommends taking breaks in the shade or another cool spot.
—
Olivia Hampton, NPR, 19 June 2024
Today, Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed have an opportunity to exert similar leverage.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2024
Through her tale, Carr depicts the ways in which women can care for and exert power over one another.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
The economic and political fundamentals offer robust measures of the conditions that exert a general gravitational pull on voter behavior in presidential elections.
—G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for exert 
Olivia Hampton, NPR, 19 June 2024
Today, Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed have an opportunity to exert similar leverage.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2024
Through her tale, Carr depicts the ways in which women can care for and exert power over one another.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
The economic and political fundamentals offer robust measures of the conditions that exert a general gravitational pull on voter behavior in presidential elections.
—G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for exert
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 27 Jun. 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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