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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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.
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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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Those rights-holders have said the fence is intended to intimidate them or restrict their access, but Harrison’s attorneys have said the fence is meant to ward off those without access rights.
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Given how often Trump has threatened to resume the war without following through, and given his determination to move on, that prospect alone appears unlikely to intimidate Tehran.
Verb
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This legislation helps our state meet current challenges and ensures bullying via AI is addressed in the school code.
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Muslim students continue to report the highest rates of bullying among religious groups in the country.
Verb
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Weger later insisted he had been coerced into making the confession.
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The decentralized group, created by 15-year-old Bradley Chance Cadenhead in Stephenville, targets children through social media, gaming platforms and messaging apps to coerce them into self-harm and sharing explicit content.
Cite this Entry
“Strong-arm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strong-arm. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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