as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
was coerced into signing the document
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Recent Examples of coercing
The United States began seizing church property and imprisoning polygamist leaders, coercing church president Wilford Woodruff to end official support for polygamy in 1890.
—
Konden Smith Hansen, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2025
Other charges dismissed as part of an April plea agreement included two counts of persuading or coercing a minor to engage in prostitution.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 25 Sep. 2025
The statute allows students to reflect, meditate, pray, or sit quietly by individual choice, but prohibits schools from coercing students into any particular activity.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
The allegations come amid the ongoing fallout of felony perjury and bribery charges filed in 2023 against Tran, who is accused of paying off and coercing a witness in a separate 2011 murder case.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
Pressuring or coercing someone into ending their life would be punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
—Alistair Smout, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2024
That same sentence will remain for anyone found guilty of tricking, pressuring or coercing someone into making the choice if the bill is ultimately passed.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 29 Nov. 2024
The lawsuit accuses Brooks of raping her in a Los Angeles hotel room for a work trip, and then subsequently coercing her to touch him naked while at his house for work.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
An effective diplomatic strategy for the region will reestablish deterrence not just by threatening and coercing others, but also by creating positive incentives that would eschew conflict.
—Mona Yacoubian, Foreign Affairs, 3 Oct. 2024
Konden Smith Hansen, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2025
Other charges dismissed as part of an April plea agreement included two counts of persuading or coercing a minor to engage in prostitution.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 25 Sep. 2025
The statute allows students to reflect, meditate, pray, or sit quietly by individual choice, but prohibits schools from coercing students into any particular activity.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
The allegations come amid the ongoing fallout of felony perjury and bribery charges filed in 2023 against Tran, who is accused of paying off and coercing a witness in a separate 2011 murder case.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
Pressuring or coercing someone into ending their life would be punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
—Alistair Smout, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2024
That same sentence will remain for anyone found guilty of tricking, pressuring or coercing someone into making the choice if the bill is ultimately passed.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 29 Nov. 2024
The lawsuit accuses Brooks of raping her in a Los Angeles hotel room for a work trip, and then subsequently coercing her to touch him naked while at his house for work.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
An effective diplomatic strategy for the region will reestablish deterrence not just by threatening and coercing others, but also by creating positive incentives that would eschew conflict.
—Mona Yacoubian, Foreign Affairs, 3 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coercing
Verb
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That is an unlikely combination because, in general, teams that score so much on offense have the lead, forcing teams into passing situations to keep pace.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Gas from Tehran fuels nearly a third of Iraq's electricity generation, yet frequent and prolonged outages remain common, forcing residents to rely on costly, polluting private generators.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Even prior to Preservé’s arrival, the Motiva implants had begun fueling a shift in the way some surgeons perform breast augmentation, compelling them to more frequently place implants on top of the chest muscle instead of underneath it, as has been customary for decades.—
Jolene Edgar,
Allure,
15 Oct. 2025
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And yet, today, a few pieces of evidence are compelling us to reconsider this scenario.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This document, signed by a sponsor, is a legally enforceable contract obligating the sponsor to support the immigrant and prevent them from relying on public aid.—
Daniel Shoer Roth,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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The following year, legislation was passed formally designating these problems as matters of national concern and obligating local governments to implement countermeasures.—
Gil Press,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Vance and his family reportedly stayed in a lavish Georgian manor owned by a light-bulb magnate, obliging me to ask whose bright idea that was.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coercing. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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