coerce

verb

co·​erce kō-ˈərs How to pronounce coerce (audio)
coerced; coercing

transitive verb

1
: to compel to an act or choice
was coerced into agreeing
abusers who coerce their victims into silence
2
: to achieve by force or threat
coerce compliance
coerce obedience
3
: to restrain or dominate by force
religion in the past has tried to coerce the irreligiousW. R. Inge
coercible adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for coerce

force, compel, coerce, constrain, oblige mean to make someone or something yield.

force is the general term and implies the overcoming of resistance by the exertion of strength, power, or duress.

forced to flee for their lives

compel typically suggests overcoming of resistance or unwillingness by an irresistible force.

compelled to admit my mistake

coerce suggests overcoming resistance or unwillingness by actual or threatened violence or pressure.

coerced into signing over the rights

constrain suggests the effect of a force or circumstance that limits freedom of action or choice.

constrained by conscience

oblige implies the constraint of necessity, law, or duty.

felt obliged to go

Examples of coerce in a Sentence

A confession was coerced from the suspect by police. was coerced into signing the document
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trump’s rocky relationship with Zelensky goes back five years—to when Trump first held up military assistance Congress had authorized for Ukraine to coerce Zelensky into investigating his political rival Joe Biden. Brian Bennett, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025 A week later, the White House used the threat of tariffs to coerce Mexico into dispatching thousands of additional troops along the U.S.-Mexico border to combat fentanyl smuggling. Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025 In effect, the White House is using areas where America is exceptional – financial markets, the military and multinationals – to coerce its allies. Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025 As a result, the Trump administration’s threat to remove federal funding, which both public and private educational institutions rely heavily on, is likely to coerce compliance, at least to some degree. Paul M. Collins Jr., The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coerce

Word History

Etymology

Middle English coarcen, coercen, borrowed from Anglo-French *cohercer, borrowed (with conjugation change) from Latin coercēre "to confine, shut up, restrict, restrain," from co- co- + arcēre "to hold in, prevent from approaching, keep away" — more at ark

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of coerce was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coerce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coerce. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

coerce

verb
co·​erce kō-ˈərs How to pronounce coerce (audio)
coerced; coercing
: to cause someone to do something by force or threat
coercion
-ˈər-zhən
-shən
noun
coercive
-ˈər-siv
adjective

Legal Definition

coerce

transitive verb
co·​erce kō-ˈərs How to pronounce coerce (audio)
coerced; coercing
: to subject (a person) to coercion compare importune, solicit

More from Merriam-Webster on coerce

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