1
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
he was muscled out of command by his opponents at military headquarters
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Recent Examples of muscling
With Johnson muscling inside or hitting jumpers long and short, and with considerable help from Mikey Williams and Mark Lavrenov, Sacramento State outlasted Montana State 83-80 with a thrilling finish in front of another full house of nearly 3,000 at sparkling Hornet Pavilion.
—
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Mendoza scored, slipping a tackle and muscling his way into the end zone to put the Hoosiers up by 10 with nine minutes left.
—Alanis Thames, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Brooks could provide an early test of GOP support for Abbott’s signature voucher program, fresh off the governor’s success in muscling it through the legislature.
—Isaac Yu, Houston Chronicle, 16 Jan. 2026
However, muscling the Fed to lower rates and reduce or destroy its independence is another matter.
—Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
But Biden and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is retiring from the House at age 85, got credit for muscling through significant legislation with thin Democratic majorities.
—Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025
Pfizer is muscling up in the slimdown fight.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Mendoza scored, slipping a tackle and muscling his way into the end zone to put the Hoosiers up by 10 with nine minutes left.
—Alanis Thames, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Brooks could provide an early test of GOP support for Abbott’s signature voucher program, fresh off the governor’s success in muscling it through the legislature.
—Isaac Yu, Houston Chronicle, 16 Jan. 2026
However, muscling the Fed to lower rates and reduce or destroy its independence is another matter.
—Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
But Biden and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is retiring from the House at age 85, got credit for muscling through significant legislation with thin Democratic majorities.
—Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025
Pfizer is muscling up in the slimdown fight.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscling
Verb
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In 1969, the Shah of Iran commissioned Leleu to make 51 tents for a sprawling installation commemorating the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire—after three years, however, the bill was never paid, forcing the company to shut down.—
Stephanie Sporn,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2026
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In 1979, a severe storm caused the roof of Kemper Arena to collapse, forcing the Kings to play at Municipal Auditorium, a much smaller venue that seated about 10,000 fans.—
Alexa Stone,
Kansas City Star,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In early 2026, the car brands leading in advanced AI are primarily split between those pushing the boundaries of full autonomous driving like Tesla, and those integrating sophisticated, safe and intuitive AI into the user experience like Mercedes-Benz and BMW.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Lawmakers were pushing a measure, similar to those enacted in Australia and Canada, that would have forced tech giants to pay online publishers for the ransacking, er, use, of their journalistic content.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The decision typically comes down to whether the government is coercing the public and specifics about who's involved and the intent.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Investigators accuse him of coercing middle school football players to perform nude exercises in a locker room and secretly photographing them in various stages of undress.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fresh spinach requires large quantities and multiple steps—blanching, shocking, and squeezing—just to yield a usable amount.—
Amber Love Bond,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
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The bus ended up completely packed, everyone squeezing together in their parkas like a bunch of marshmallows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The contempt proceedings are an initial step toward a criminal prosecution by the Department of Justice that, if successful, could send the Clintons to prison in a dispute over compelling them to testify before the House Oversight Committee.—
Stephen Groves,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
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In season four, Mike’s (Renner) control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The article is the key mutual defense clause, obliging all member countries to come to the aid of another member whose sovereignty or territorial integrity might be under threat.—
Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
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After obliging, the rapper started to riff by adding some new insults.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The unions argue that carrying out permanent layoffs during a funding lapse violates the Antideficiency Act, which bars agencies from obligating funds without congressional authorization, and exceeds executive authority under the Administrative Procedure Act.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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This document, signed by a sponsor, is a legally enforceable contract obligating the sponsor to support the immigrant and prevent them from relying on public aid.—
Daniel Shoer Roth,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Weather Service warns that poor visibility and slick roads could make driving a bad idea.—
Caroline Silva,
AJC.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Sombr’s rendition strips the track back emotionally while reshaping it sonically, layering distorted vocals and a driving indie-rock pulse over the song’s core melody.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muscling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscling. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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