as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
it took some arm-twisting, but they eventually agreed to make a donation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arm-twisting
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Other players, however, insist that disarmament must commence first, or else any political process will be subjected to Hamas’s interference, and to arm-twisting by those who can exert influence with their guns and tunnels.
—
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Ordinarily, any arm-twisting or horse-trading is done behind the scenes, and typically the winning candidate has been able to wrap up the race within days of the November election.
—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Noun
Call it a figurative arm-twisting.
—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Other players, however, insist that disarmament must commence first, or else any political process will be subjected to Hamas’s interference, and to arm-twisting by those who can exert influence with their guns and tunnels.
—
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Ordinarily, any arm-twisting or horse-trading is done behind the scenes, and typically the winning candidate has been able to wrap up the race within days of the November election.
—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arm-twisting
Noun
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These episodes have been triggered by intense heat domes — stubborn areas of high pressure that lock hot air in place — and are clearly supercharged by global warming, experts say.
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Even as the communist country proposes reforms, the United States continues a pressure campaign, ramping up economic sanctions and maintaining an oil embargo that has plunged much of the island into darkness.
Verb
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His process of doing so involved disparaging his accusers, browbeating people and institutions that no longer wanted to be associated with him, and refusing to accept a path that precluded a return to being a public figure.
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Analysts have suggested a vote from Waller in favor of interest rate cuts, aligning with the president’s browbeating demands for lower borrowing costs—could be seen as a bellwether for his candidacy.
Noun
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Her colleague Maria Amato adds a harder constraint — the most effective leadership development happens on the job, inside the relationships management layers exist to create.
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How supply chains are slowing defense production S&P Global Ratings found the same constraint.
Verb
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This legislation helps our state meet current challenges and ensures bullying via AI is addressed in the school code.
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Muslim students continue to report the highest rates of bullying among religious groups in the country.
Noun
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At a time like this, poetry must embrace a compulsion for awareness.
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There’s this prevailing sentiment of perseverance in spite of grief, and a compulsion to dedicate his success to those who witnessed the journey.
Verb
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The masks are often vibrant and colorful but sometimes intimidating, depicting superheroes, animals or other symbolic figures.
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Superior Court Judge Alex Manning issued the order June 15 prohibiting the county’s top administrator from getting close to Amit Mehrotra, a neighbor in the Ellard subdivision in Roswell, and from harassing or intimidating Mehrotra or his family.
Noun
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The 16-count indictment against Republican Liz Murrill, handed up Thursday by a New Orleans grand jury, charges Louisiana’s first female attorney general with intimidation and malfeasance.
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The 16-count indictment handed up Thursday by a New Orleans grand jury accused Murrill, the state's first female attorney general, with intimidation and malfeasance.
Verb
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Pratt was just another angry New Yorker hectoring calumnies against all forms of authority.
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Perhaps more meaningfully, the message is the antithesis of a contrived political pitch or a hectoring sermon.
Cite this Entry
“Arm-twisting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arm-twisting. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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