pressurize
verb
pres·sur·ize
ˈpre-shə-ˌrīz 
pressurized; pressurizing
1
: to confine the contents of under a pressure greater than that of the outside atmosphere
especially
: to maintain near-normal atmospheric pressure in during high-altitude or spaceflight (as by means of a supercharger)
2
: to apply pressure to
3
: to design to withstand pressure
pressurizer
noun
Examples of pressurize in a Sentence
A pump is used to pressurize the fuel.
The system that pressurizes the airplane's cabin failed to operate correctly.
Don't let them pressurize you to do anything you don't want to do.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rising temperature Officials said on Sunday that the failing pressurized Orange County tank — filled with a toxic chemical and at risk of exploding — had reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the maximum reading on the gauge.
—
Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
Unopened soda is sealed and pressurized, which means it's protected from air and bacteria.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 24 May 2026
Max was pressurizing Daniel pretty hard.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 15 May 2026
The fuel maintains the same external geometry as existing 19-element and 37-element fuel designs, which allows it to be integrated into current CANDU and pressurized heavy-water reactor systems without hardware or core design modifications.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pressurize
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Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
Unopened soda is sealed and pressurized, which means it's protected from air and bacteria.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 24 May 2026
Max was pressurizing Daniel pretty hard.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 15 May 2026
The fuel maintains the same external geometry as existing 19-element and 37-element fuel designs, which allows it to be integrated into current CANDU and pressurized heavy-water reactor systems without hardware or core design modifications.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pressurize
Cite this Entry
“Pressurize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pressurize. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pressurize
verb
pres·sur·ize
ˈpresh-ə-ˌrīz
pressurized; pressurizing
1
: to maintain near-normal atmospheric pressure in
pressurize an airplane cabin
2
: to apply pressure to
pressurization
noun
ˌpresh-(ə-)rə-ˈzā-shən
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