as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
a promise obtained by coercion is never binding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 coercion
In other words, beauty, for much of the twentieth century and beyond, has been a method of commercial coercion.
—
Ocean Vuong, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
Mixing pop and politics Soft power refers to a country’s ability to influence others, not through coercion but through attraction – by shaping preferences through culture, values and public diplomacy.
—Shaoyu Yuan, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2025
In such a world, wars might be more frequent, and previous close allies of the United States, whether in Europe or Asia, could be vulnerable to outright coercion.
—Ngaire Woods, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
The two scholars maintain there is no evidence of coercion here.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coercion
Ocean Vuong, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
Mixing pop and politics Soft power refers to a country’s ability to influence others, not through coercion but through attraction – by shaping preferences through culture, values and public diplomacy.
—Shaoyu Yuan, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2025
In such a world, wars might be more frequent, and previous close allies of the United States, whether in Europe or Asia, could be vulnerable to outright coercion.
—Ngaire Woods, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
The two scholars maintain there is no evidence of coercion here.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coercion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coercion
Noun
-
For Black women, these pressures are often doubled.—
Stephanie Long,
Essence,
15 May 2025
-
However, if the pressure continues to mount, direct-to-consumer channels offer promising ways to bypass traditional store font issues to make sure all your beauty supply needs continue to be met.—
Kori Hale,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
New Organization And Team Operating Model AI technology by itself will not yield value until there is an openness to take a fresh look at business processes and combine them with resource and tech dependency with no constraints.—
Balmukund Shukla,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
-
This limitation is a significant constraint on his potential serving speed.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
Even then, lawmakers couldn’t resist the compulsion to split hairs.—
Robert Goulder,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Books The Faithless Generation Traditional religion thrives in stable communities, not a world where innovators aim to ‘break things.’ Books Lies, Damned Lies, and Ideology John O’Sullivan The ideological lie persists, demanding compulsion to enforce its vision.—
Paul Baumann,
National Review,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The flashy sequences of violence feel apt for TV (Netflix, along with Steven Spielberg’s production outfit and the Obamas’ media company, is working on a series), but the novel’s real draw is the quieter ache of a family torn apart.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2025
-
The writing and acting is simply outstanding, with moments of genuine humor followed by gut-wrenching scenes of violence or suspense.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coercion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coercion. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share