as in forced
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
his father pressured him to go out for the swim team
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Recent Examples of pressured
If an apology is due, offer it before being pressured — that’s the best way to release the weight of the past.
—
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2026
During the Games, a French judge was pressured to inflate the scores for a Russian pairs team.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 9 Feb. 2026
All over the country, governors and legislators are being pressured by the American Academy of Physician Associates, a lobbying group, to blur the distinctions between physicians and PAs.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
As Fed chair, Warsh would surely be pressured to do Trump’s bidding in the same way current Chair Jerome Powell has been, relentlessly.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
After they were arrested during a September check-in and sent to Dilley, Vargas said, officers repeatedly pressured her and her husband to drop their visa applications.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
In that case, Sabraw said the mother was pressured multiple times last year to self-deport by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Her first challenge came in 2022 when Russell Wilson, the face of the franchise, pressured her to make a choice.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr pressured broadcasters to take Kimmel off the air shortly before that.
—Audrey McAvoy, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2026
During the Games, a French judge was pressured to inflate the scores for a Russian pairs team.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 9 Feb. 2026
All over the country, governors and legislators are being pressured by the American Academy of Physician Associates, a lobbying group, to blur the distinctions between physicians and PAs.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
As Fed chair, Warsh would surely be pressured to do Trump’s bidding in the same way current Chair Jerome Powell has been, relentlessly.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
After they were arrested during a September check-in and sent to Dilley, Vargas said, officers repeatedly pressured her and her husband to drop their visa applications.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
In that case, Sabraw said the mother was pressured multiple times last year to self-deport by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Her first challenge came in 2022 when Russell Wilson, the face of the franchise, pressured her to make a choice.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr pressured broadcasters to take Kimmel off the air shortly before that.
—Audrey McAvoy, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pressured
Verb
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The defense forced three turnovers, Jason Myers kicked a Super Bowl-record five field goals, and running back Kenneth Walker III rushed for 135 yards to earn most valuable player as the Seahawks finished the season with 10 consecutive victories.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Anutin has been prime minister only since last September, after serving in the Cabinet of his immediate predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was forced out of office for an ethics violation regarding mishandling relations with Cambodia.—
GRANT PECK,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Anecdotes like these are the reason Wong felt compelled to start documenting mahjong traditions.—
Grace Hwang Lynch,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Never has Congress compelled the testimony of a former president under threat of contempt charges.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Being coerced into recreational activities against your will suggests a unique type of loneliness—for Sutkowski, one that represents emotional trials far deeper than just an unhappy season in dusty cleats.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
10 Feb. 2026
-
According to the recent court filings, members are coerced to provide all of the labor in the GCCA compound without compensation.—
Jane Borden,
Rolling Stone,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Unprompted, Campbell offered an apology to reporters for declining to speak after the Super Bowl, something players are obligated to do by league policy.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Note, unlike with excursions booked through cruise lines, ships aren't obligated to wait for you if third-party operators run late.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
James obliged, but the Heat still capitalized on the moment by selling T-shirts of him in the original black mask.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Ice princesses are obliged to be polite and palatable at all times, often at the expense of their humanity.—
Jasmine Wynn,
Time,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pressured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pressured. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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