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
Both teams were hot then, and the game was competitive down into the final minutes in Gainesville, with Florida muscling it out.
—
Noah White, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
From muscling the F50s around the course in strong winds, these soft, sub-foiling breezes require a completely different skill set.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Held is in good company at Goldman Sachs, where former pros are muscling their distinct skill sets to succeed in new careers.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2026
Despite the officer’s orders, Chakraborty turns the door handle, opens the door and is seen muscling his way through as White fires four shots.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Noah White, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
From muscling the F50s around the course in strong winds, these soft, sub-foiling breezes require a completely different skill set.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Held is in good company at Goldman Sachs, where former pros are muscling their distinct skill sets to succeed in new careers.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2026
Despite the officer’s orders, Chakraborty turns the door handle, opens the door and is seen muscling his way through as White fires four shots.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscling
Verb
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This has raised the cost of materials for jewelry brands, forcing many to increase prices.—
Andrea Bossi,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2026
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Internal pressure within Cuba, including fuel shortages and economic instability, could also play a role in forcing reforms.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento will see temperatures pushing toward 90 by midweek.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Tensions in the Middle East are pushing the United Kingdom to consider new military technology to protect global energy supplies.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Meyers is also accused of coercing the 15-year-old into recording the high school’s wrestling team, the complaint alleges.—
Brittany Kubicko,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
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Guevara and two colleagues, Mason and then-Detective Ernest Halvorson, 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,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The lady beetles emerging in spring actually entered your home in the fall, squeezing through small cracks to overwinter inside walls, attics, and other sheltered spaces.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
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Equipped with a deep high-rise waistband featuring internal power mesh, Icebreaker has engineered these leggings to provide a bit of extra compression without over-squeezing.—
Harry Spampinato,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Justice Department initially said that its release, made in response to a law passed by Congress compelling the agency to disclose nearly all files related to Epstein, comprised more than 3 million pages.—
Elliott Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
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City staff, however, expressed concerns about the request, compelling the recycling plant to instead propose a new shear in the same location as the current one and reducing the new shear's size.—
Jessie Christopher Smith,
Oklahoman,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In civil aerospace, for example, Rolls is benefiting as manufacturers Airbus and Boeing struggle to deliver new aircraft at the pace the market requires — obliging airlines to keep flying old planes (and their engines) for longer.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
25 Feb. 2026
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Black has sometimes driven for miles to a particular cemetery only to find a funeral under way, obliging him to leave empty-handed.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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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This intense demand is driving significant activity among niche data providers.—
NILESH CHRISTOPHER LOS ANGELES TIMES,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
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Objects that are outdoors should be secured and caution should be taken if driving.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muscling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscling. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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