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
Arguably, individual fandoms have never been stronger—yet because information moves so quickly, these communities exert less influence on larger audiences that have less time or inclination to keep up with every micro-development.
—
W. David Marx, The Atlantic, 1 May 2024
In doing so, the runners experienced forces that were similar to those exerted by gravity on Earth.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for exert 
W. David Marx, The Atlantic, 1 May 2024
In doing so, the runners experienced forces that were similar to those exerted by gravity on Earth.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 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 5 May. 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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