as in urgent
needing immediate attention
she had pressing business on the other side of town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in seizing
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
the fleeing bank robber pressed a nearby taxi into service as a getaway car
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in shoving
to push steadily against with some force
an old doorbell that requires you to press the button hard
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in squeezing
to apply external pressure on so as to force out the juice or contents of
my family will only drink juice from freshly pressed oranges
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in huddling
to gather into a closely packed group
everyone pressed around me to see the pictures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
a manager pressed by a business crisis to return from his vacation ahead of schedule
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in urging
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
pressed us to go with them to the school board meeting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in highlighting
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
an office e-mail that presses the need for greater vigilance concerning building security
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pressing
Selome Hailu, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
But while the issue appears to have dropped off the agenda of the mercurial US leader, along with his threats to annex Canada and to take over the Panama Canal, many Danes still see it as their most pressing – and worrying – diplomatic challenge.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Similarly, if the Cat beeped to indicate an error, pressing USE FRONT-HELP could also explain why.
—Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pressing
Adjective
What were the most pressing issues on your mind as you and the other executive producers began thinking about Season 4?
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
But while the issue appears to have dropped off the agenda of the mercurial US leader, along with his threats to annex Canada and to take over the Panama Canal, many Danes still see it as their most pressing – and worrying – diplomatic challenge.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
Sparrow isn't the first feline to outsmart an automatic feeder, like the cat who managed to access her kibble between mealtimes by pressing a button on the feeder.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Similarly, if the Cat beeped to indicate an error, pressing USE FRONT-HELP could also explain why.
—Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pressing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pressing
Adjective
-
Poland has said that Russian drones attempted to violate its airspace again, only days after another encroachment prompted Warsaw to call on NATO to hold urgent security talks.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The need that fluoridated water was meant to address, critics say, isn’t as urgent.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In women, nerve issues or a cystocele (a type of pelvic organ prolapse, or dropped bladder) can alter flow, but acute urinary retention is much less common, affecting only about 3 in 100,000 women each year.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
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Kazakhstan’s president recognizes the acute competition for investors’ dollars.—
Mark Temnycky,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pressing. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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