as in unwilling
not made or done willingly or by choice
coerced participation that couldn't last
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in forced
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
was coerced into signing the document
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of coerced
Samer Sinijlawi, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025
Prosecutors retried one of the men, John Kogut – who had made a coerced confession to the murder – but he was acquitted.
—Lauren Del Valle, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Winters writes that this initial system of coerced labor didn’t go very well for the elites.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
Like Netflix's popular 2015 docuseries Making a Murderer, The Yogurt Shop Murders explores unethical interrogation tactics used by law enforcement and questions of coerced confessions.
—EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Starks defended Porter by saying Andrews and other witnesses were coerced into giving their statements to police.
—Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot on Wednesday asked commissioners to sign a resolution acknowledging Walker's innocence after finding he was coerced into a confession and convicted by an all-White jury.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The revelation also comes amid the growing fallout of allegations that Tran illegally coerced witnesses to secure guilty verdicts at trial.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Finally, Logan coerced Jake to admit to peeling the paper.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Al-Zubaidi had good reason to fear he would be imprisoned or at least coerced into capitulation.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
More than 18,000 people have been detained and at least 97 individuals have been coerced into confessing for their crimes on state television, per the organization.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2026
In court filings, Geragos has argued that the Cascios felt coerced into signing the agreements.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Deradicalization is equally vital—not as a coerced reeducation, but as part of a healing process that encompasses Israelis as well as Palestinians.
—Samer Sinijlawi, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025
Prosecutors retried one of the men, John Kogut – who had made a coerced confession to the murder – but he was acquitted.
—Lauren Del Valle, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Winters writes that this initial system of coerced labor didn’t go very well for the elites.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
Like Netflix's popular 2015 docuseries Making a Murderer, The Yogurt Shop Murders explores unethical interrogation tactics used by law enforcement and questions of coerced confessions.
—EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
The uncle alleged that the donations made by Yamagami’s mother, which by then totalled seven hundred thousand dollars, had been coerced.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Starks defended Porter by saying Andrews and other witnesses were coerced into giving their statements to police.
—Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot on Wednesday asked commissioners to sign a resolution acknowledging Walker's innocence after finding he was coerced into a confession and convicted by an all-White jury.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The revelation also comes amid the growing fallout of allegations that Tran illegally coerced witnesses to secure guilty verdicts at trial.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Finally, Logan coerced Jake to admit to peeling the paper.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Al-Zubaidi had good reason to fear he would be imprisoned or at least coerced into capitulation.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
More than 18,000 people have been detained and at least 97 individuals have been coerced into confessing for their crimes on state television, per the organization.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2026
In court filings, Geragos has argued that the Cascios felt coerced into signing the agreements.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coerced
Adjective
-
For decades male contraception was dismissed as a niche solution for a potentially unwilling user.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
That said, some officers and detectives were unwilling—at least initially—to cast suspicion on the shooting victims themselves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
With temperatures climbing above freezing and sunny skies melting half the structure, they were forced to start over entirely.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Twenty-two people — two civilians and 20 firefighters — were injured and thousands were forced to evacuate.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Long afternoons and spontaneous plans unfold on patios and in parks across the city.—
Julia Viele,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Wilde explained that the film had many influences, including Mike Nichols and Nora Ephron, but the collaborative writing process and spontaneous shoot was partially inspired by the films of John Cassavetes.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
We are compelled, from the indirect astrophysical evidence and the high-quality null results from direct detection efforts, to consider it seriously.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The Frist felt compelled to spotlight one more Nashville women artist as part of its 25th anniversary celebration.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite the humor Stiller brings to all of his projects, the physical comedy was anything but accidental.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
This ambiguity is not accidental.—
Marc Schneier,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Marshall, like all the rest of them, was eventually let go for not knowing anything, but not before more time was wasted by detectives, who were obliged to interview most of these sideshows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Under federal law, the company was obliged to report the error and return the money.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Frontline managers who feel obligated to second-guess strategy.—
Brendan Keegan,
Rolling Stone,
27 Jan. 2026
-
You are not obligated to disclose personal details at work.—
Essence,
Essence,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coerced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coerced. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
