as in to compel
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
was coerced into signing the document
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Recent Examples of coerce
Lured by the promise of well-paying jobs, hundreds of thousands of people like them have been coerced into engaging in scams such as posing as women online, cultivating intimate relationships with foreigners to defraud them of their savings.
—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
Safety regulations – intended to constrain corporate power – in authoritarian regimes become tools to coerce compliance.
—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
In the state of Arkansas, lawmakers worked across the aisle on a bold bill that categorizes kids recruited into gangs and coerced into committing crimes as victims.
—
Ana Zamora,
Time,
3 June 2026
The thoughtlessness with which this bride coerced you into subsidizing her wedding was stunning.
—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for coerce
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
Safety regulations – intended to constrain corporate power – in authoritarian regimes become tools to coerce compliance.
—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
In the state of Arkansas, lawmakers worked across the aisle on a bold bill that categorizes kids recruited into gangs and coerced into committing crimes as victims.
—
Ana Zamora,
Time,
3 June 2026
The thoughtlessness with which this bride coerced you into subsidizing her wedding was stunning.
—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for coerce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coerce
Verb
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Graf denied a bid from Robinson's defense team to compel his former roommate and lover Lance Twiggs to testify during the preliminary hearing in July.
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Representatives of the Utah County Attorney’s Office said they were compelled to speak publicly about the case following speculation in some media outlets.
Verb
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In 1976, the Bicentennial followed the traumas of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal that had forced President Richard Nixon's resignation.
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An uncontained blaze in Utah’s Juab County has scorched 34 square miles, forcing the evacuation of Eureka and nearby ranches as firefighters race to shield homes amid fierce winds.
Verb
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If a jury accepts the defense, it is obligated to convict a defendant of manslaughter, which is punishable by up to 25 years in prison, instead of murder, which carries a potential life sentence.
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France’s rule barring under-15s from social media, for instance, doesn’t specify who is actually obligated to enforce it, since naming platforms as the responsible party would trigger a direct conflict with EU law.
Verb
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His status as the game’s best secure, Messi lifted the trophy in a bisht that had been placed upon him — obliged to share his greatest triumph with the geopolitical forces that had brought the World Cup to the Middle East for the first time.
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Bedford Affordable would be obliged to ensure that at least 40% of the units are set aside for low-income residents, documents show.
Cite this Entry
“Coerce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coerce. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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