1. To remove or take away someone or something by pulling or prying in a violent, wrenching manner. A noun or pronoun is used between "wrest" and "out." He wrested the gun out of the attacker's hands. I managed to wrest the iron bar out of the cement before it had set completely.
2. To obtain or extract something, such as information, from someone or something, especially after much difficulty or persistence. We were finally able to wrest some answers out of the spy we were interrogating. I've never been able to wrest any meaning out of abstract paintings—they always look just like splatters of paint to me. I wrested out a confession from Tommy after threatening to take his video games away for a year.
1. To obtain something from someone or something by pulling with violent twisting movements: The farmer dug into the soil and wrested out a fresh turnip. The bullies wrested the book out of the little boy's hands and ran off with it.
2. To extract something from someone or something by or as if by force, twisting, or persistent effort: I was finally able to wrest out some meaning from the jumbled essay. The police wrested a confession out of the suspect.
3. To escape from something by pulling with violent twisting movements: The cat wrested out of my arms and jumped to the floor.