as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
it took some arm-twisting, but they eventually agreed to make a donation
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Recent Examples of arm-twisting
Eric Stephens, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Trump seeks redistricting revenge in Indiana The Hoosier State is also in the spotlight because a handful of Republican legislators resisted Trump's arm-twisting to change their congressional boundaries in the House.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 5 May 2026
Secretly recorded telephone conversations of President Lyndon B. Johnson during his years in the White House reveal LBJ was a blunt, vulgar, scheming politician who was skilled at using a blend of bullying, puffery and arm-twisting to get his way.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 19 Mar. 2026
Other players, however, insist that disarmament must commence first, or else any political process will be subjected to Hamas’s interference, and to arm-twisting by those who can exert influence with their guns and tunnels.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Ordinarily, any arm-twisting or horse-trading is done behind the scenes, and typically the winning candidate has been able to wrap up the race within days of the November election.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
After arm-twisting and cajoling lawmakers overnight, Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) hailed what is likely to be the most significant piece of legislation enacted during the president’s second term.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 4 July 2025
Noun
Call it a figurative arm-twisting.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Trump seeks redistricting revenge in Indiana The Hoosier State is also in the spotlight because a handful of Republican legislators resisted Trump's arm-twisting to change their congressional boundaries in the House.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 5 May 2026
Secretly recorded telephone conversations of President Lyndon B. Johnson during his years in the White House reveal LBJ was a blunt, vulgar, scheming politician who was skilled at using a blend of bullying, puffery and arm-twisting to get his way.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 19 Mar. 2026
Other players, however, insist that disarmament must commence first, or else any political process will be subjected to Hamas’s interference, and to arm-twisting by those who can exert influence with their guns and tunnels.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Ordinarily, any arm-twisting or horse-trading is done behind the scenes, and typically the winning candidate has been able to wrap up the race within days of the November election.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
After arm-twisting and cajoling lawmakers overnight, Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) hailed what is likely to be the most significant piece of legislation enacted during the president’s second term.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 4 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arm-twisting
Noun
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Beyond their immediate impact, experts say such attacks are part of a broader Russian strategy to sow fear among ordinary people and increase public pressure on Ukraine’s leaders to end the war.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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The rush for the exits by investors is reigniting anxiety over pressures in the global private markets industry.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Verb
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His process of doing so involved disparaging his accusers, browbeating people and institutions that no longer wanted to be associated with him, and refusing to accept a path that precluded a return to being a public figure.—
Elizabeth Spiers,
Vanity Fair,
29 Apr. 2026
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Analysts have suggested a vote from Waller in favor of interest rate cuts, aligning with the president’s browbeating demands for lower borrowing costs—could be seen as a bellwether for his candidacy.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Set the scene In the heart of the city’s museum quarter, this property is an ideal spot for tourists without budget constraints.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Data center capacity constraints, over-reliance on OpenAI and a Copilot assistant that trails rivals have challenged Microsoft’s early lead.—
Sebastian Herrera,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Verb
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The student who was injured was subjected to other instances of bullying before the assault on May 7, according to the lawsuit filed by Mollie and Boston Mallory, the plaintiff’s attorneys.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 May 2026
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In the documentary, Steve maintained his daughter’s innocence and defended her against allegations from former classmates who accused her of bullying.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Noun
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For me, one of these compulsions ended up being using the tracking app.—
Sara Rowe Mount,
Parents,
22 May 2026
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In a clinical setting, mental health experts call such actions compulsions – behaviors that feel impossible to resist – are fueled by obsessive thoughts and eventually begin to interfere with a person’s ability to lead a normal, healthy life.—
Jordyn Tovey,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Without a baseline of knowledge, climate tech can feel abstract or intimidating.—
Cyril PETIT,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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These barriers are especially intimidating when brands are looking to expand internationally — operational missteps can often lead to growth stagnation.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Eyob Mesafint, leader of EZEMA, Ethiopia’s largest national opposition party, acknowledged the arrest and intimidation of his party members.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
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The department said in the statement that Jacobs was booked into Brown County Jail on charges of domestic abuse battery, domestic abuse criminal damage to property, domestic abuse disorderly conduct, strangulation and suffocation, and intimidation of a victim.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Pratt was just another angry New Yorker hectoring calumnies against all forms of authority.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
14 May 2026
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Perhaps more meaningfully, the message is the antithesis of a contrived political pitch or a hectoring sermon.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arm-twisting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arm-twisting. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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