coerced; coercing
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 has in the past tried to coerce the irreligious …—
William Ralph Inge
William Ralph IngeExamples 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
Hearst maintained that she was coerced, but she was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Feb. 2026
The state’s prisons unconstitutionally coerced labor by levying severe punishments — including solitary confinement — against prisoners who refused to work, Denver District Court Judge Sarah Wallace found in the 61-page ruling.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2026
The three other men were beaten to coerce confessions before they were convicted by an all-white jury.
—News Service Of Florida, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
Guevara and two colleagues, then-detectives Michael Mason and Ernest Halvorson, then orchestrated a frame-up by coercing one witness to identify Rios by beating him with a phone book and flashlight, and another by threatening to charge him with obstruction, according to the plaintiffs’ allegations.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coerce
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David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Feb. 2026
The state’s prisons unconstitutionally coerced labor by levying severe punishments — including solitary confinement — against prisoners who refused to work, Denver District Court Judge Sarah Wallace found in the 61-page ruling.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2026
The three other men were beaten to coerce confessions before they were convicted by an all-white jury.
—News Service Of Florida, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
Guevara and two colleagues, then-detectives Michael Mason and Ernest Halvorson, then orchestrated a frame-up by coercing one witness to identify Rios by beating him with a phone book and flashlight, and another by threatening to charge him with obstruction, according to the plaintiffs’ allegations.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coerce
Cite this Entry
“Coerce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coerce. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coerce
verb
co·erce
kō-ˈərs 
coerced; coercing
: to cause someone to do something by force or threat
coercion
noun
-ˈər-zhən,
-shən
coercive
adjective
-ˈər-siv
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