as in bullying
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as in coercion
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as in intimidating
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
they would often browbeat the younger child until he cried
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Recent Examples of browbeating
Elizabeth Spiers, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
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.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
This might take a series of browbeating prompts, but that’s not a big deal.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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.
—Elizabeth Spiers, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
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.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
This might take a series of browbeating prompts, but that’s not a big deal.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for browbeating
Adjective
-
In recent years, Lewinsky has reemerged in the public eye, becoming an anti-bullying advocate and public speaker.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
The district maintains an anti-bullying policy outlined in its student handbook.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Jakes confessed to acting as the lookout during the killing, but prosecutors threw out his charges in 2018 after the torture commission found credible evidence of coercion by Boudreau and Detective Michael Kill.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
China’s foreign policy in Asia combines economic integration with selective coercion, deployed in varying proportions depending on the country and context.—
Yu Jie,
Time,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Beaulah orders Joaquin to clean up the mess, which involves dragging his brother to rehab and possibly intimidating Wes’s highly suspicious widow, Whitney (Olivia Rose Keegan), into leaving town.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
The learning curve, while gentler than tennis, can still feel intimidating in a social setting.—
Jeff Fromm,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
The overall aesthetic was slightly ascetic without being spartan—a pale, neutral color palette; simple, modern furniture; a few pieces of abstract art.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The first follows the Rajput king Ratansen of Chitor (a fortress in what is now Chittorgarh, Rajasthan), who renounces his throne and travels as a yogi (wandering ascetic) to the island kingdom of Simhal to win the legendary Padmavati.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Small-town social pressure could be a useful tool, too.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Zelenskyy vowed to keep pressure on Moscow to make concessions in talks.—
Hanna Arhirova,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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The book is treated as confession, a howl of pain, its ‘anguish’ and ‘unflinching honesty’ much praised.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
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And so begins Sarah and David’s sometimes hilarious, often irreverent and totally unflinching journey to follow the ups and downs of David’s disease.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Her chief lieutenants in this operation are Bronco (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Sid (Henry Cavill), who specialize in intimidation, surveillance, bribery, and other assorted sins.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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At the time of the armed assault in May 2020, Brown was on probation for a 2014 conviction for assault and battery with a knife and witness intimidation.—
Mike Toole,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Lebanon’s fragile sovereignty The lack of resolved borders and Israel’s periodic incursions into southern Lebanon have predictably meant that Lebanon has struggled to assert sovereignty over its own territory.—
Mireille Rebeiz,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
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One quick concluding note: Like Bad Sisters, How to Get to Heaven from Belfast has what feels to me like a pretty resolved (and effective) ending, especially given the amount of time Saoirse spends in the finale talking about the difficulties of writing endings for TV.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Browbeating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/browbeating. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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