as in to intimidate
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
developers trying to strong-arm homeowners into selling their houses at below-market prices
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of strong-arm
Hezbollah, for the longest time, was strong-arming other parties, and they are accused of assassinating a former Prime Minister.
—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Now, the question of whether the US could again use force – or tactics like tariffs or sanctions – to strong-arm countries into choosing Washington’s interests over ties with China is a viable risk being evaluated in the region’s capitals.
—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
The government has previously tried to charge Lemon in a steadily escalating campaign involving a string of highly unusual legal moves to strong-arm courts into conceding to its demands.
—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
The White House’s push to suppress the Smithsonian’s programming is part of an attempt to strong-arm influential cultural institutions and, in turn, culture itself.
—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strong-arm
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Now, the question of whether the US could again use force – or tactics like tariffs or sanctions – to strong-arm countries into choosing Washington’s interests over ties with China is a viable risk being evaluated in the region’s capitals.
—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
The government has previously tried to charge Lemon in a steadily escalating campaign involving a string of highly unusual legal moves to strong-arm courts into conceding to its demands.
—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
The White House’s push to suppress the Smithsonian’s programming is part of an attempt to strong-arm influential cultural institutions and, in turn, culture itself.
—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strong-arm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strong-arm
Verb
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The parking at Krog Street Market can be intimidating, but there’s no need to try to navigate the valet or the small lot in the front of the market.
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The Oura Ring 4 has dropped to $399, cutting a cool $100 off the intimidating $499 list price.
Verb
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This was a rabid, partisan home-soil advantage that flat-out bullied the squad into surviving.
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They got bullied in that one, showing a tremendous lack of physicality.
Verb
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Enterprises that route requests between multiple models can be coerced into selecting the weakest route.
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What’s not clear is whether the department will eventually use its muscle to coerce builders, suppliers, and property owners into upgrading their sheds and fielding them more sparingly.
Cite this Entry
“Strong-arm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strong-arm. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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