wrest off

wrest off

To take someone or something away from someone or something by pulling or prying in a violent, wrenching manner. A noun or pronoun is used between "wrest" and "off." He walked over to the headstone and wrested off the medallion that had been embedded in the marble. The man has been hailed as a hero for wresting the gun off of the shooter before anyone was harmed. The officers wrested my son off me before I had the chance to run.

See also: off, wrest

wrest something off (of) something

 and wrest something off

to struggle to get something off something. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) Somehow he wrested the hubcap off the wheel. He wrested off the hubcap.

See also: off, wrest

wrest off

v.

To obtain or remove something from someone or something by pulling with violent twisting movements: The thief wrested off the hood ornament from the car. I wrested the car keys off him.

See also: off, wrest