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
Meyers is also accused of coercing the 15-year-old into recording the high school’s wrestling team, the complaint alleges.
—
Brittany Kubicko, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
Guevara and two colleagues, Mason and then-Detective Ernest Halvorson, orchestrated a frame-up by coercing one witness to identify Rios by beating him with a phone book and flashlight, and another by threatening to charge him with obstruction, according to the plaintiffs’ allegations.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
Guevara denied coercing that witness's testimony during the trial, and a judge later convicted Diaz and sentenced him to 30 years in prison.
—Victor Jacobo, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
However, this kind of rethinking of coverage is not about coercing people to accept worse care in exchange for money.
—Jared Rhoads, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026
Fraud rings frequently prey on vulnerable people — including immigrants and the unhoused — coercing them to intentionally cause or stage accidents in exchange for the promise of large payouts.
—Elizabeth Heck, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
The decision typically comes down to whether the government is coercing the public and specifics about who's involved and the intent.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026
This would likely mean seizing more resources inside Yemen—for example, by capturing the oil-rich governorate of Marib east of Sanaa—or by coercing Saudi Arabia into offering new financial concessions.
—April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2025
There were more damning allegations made by Burrowes against Diddy, which included Combs coercing Burrowes to make changes in Biggie’s record deal with Bad Boy to make the terms more lucrative and favorable for the label.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Dec. 2025
Brittany Kubicko, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
Guevara and two colleagues, Mason and then-Detective Ernest Halvorson, orchestrated a frame-up by coercing one witness to identify Rios by beating him with a phone book and flashlight, and another by threatening to charge him with obstruction, according to the plaintiffs’ allegations.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
Guevara denied coercing that witness's testimony during the trial, and a judge later convicted Diaz and sentenced him to 30 years in prison.
—Victor Jacobo, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
However, this kind of rethinking of coverage is not about coercing people to accept worse care in exchange for money.
—Jared Rhoads, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026
Fraud rings frequently prey on vulnerable people — including immigrants and the unhoused — coercing them to intentionally cause or stage accidents in exchange for the promise of large payouts.
—Elizabeth Heck, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
The decision typically comes down to whether the government is coercing the public and specifics about who's involved and the intent.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026
This would likely mean seizing more resources inside Yemen—for example, by capturing the oil-rich governorate of Marib east of Sanaa—or by coercing Saudi Arabia into offering new financial concessions.
—April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2025
There were more damning allegations made by Burrowes against Diddy, which included Combs coercing Burrowes to make changes in Biggie’s record deal with Bad Boy to make the terms more lucrative and favorable for the label.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coercing
Verb
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His removal would trigger yet another transition, forcing the legislature to appoint a new leader and marking a volatile new chapter in Peruvian politics just two months before national elections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
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There’s a delectable tension between its chintziness and its opulence, forcing the mind to color in the spaces of its grand visages.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown was hosting a roundtable featuring seven Ohioans sharing stories about the financial pain that bloated health-care costs had inflicted on their families, compelling them to scale back their medical care.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
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The contempt proceedings are an initial step toward a criminal prosecution by the Department of Justice that, if successful, could send the Clintons to prison in a dispute over compelling them to testify before the House Oversight Committee.—
Stephen Groves,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The unions argue that carrying out permanent layoffs during a funding lapse violates the Antideficiency Act, which bars agencies from obligating funds without congressional authorization, and exceeds executive authority under the Administrative Procedure Act.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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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
Verb
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Black has sometimes driven for miles to a particular cemetery only to find a funeral under way, obliging him to leave empty-handed.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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The article is the key mutual defense clause, obliging all member countries to come to the aid of another member whose sovereignty or territorial integrity might be under threat.—
Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coercing. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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