as in persistent
formal
using force or threats to make someone do something; using coercion
coercive measures
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Recent Examples of coercive
Garza has explicitly framed the coalition as a response to concerns about warrantless entries, unlawful detentions and coercive enforcement tactics.
—
Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Wiseman’s response was to dig ever deeper into coercive social forces.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
Critics might argue, for instance, that offering financial incentives to forgo care is inherently coercive, particularly for lower-income patients for whom savings or incentives might prove irresistible.
—Jared Rhoads, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026
That pattern matters in democracies because coercive power must be perceived as legitimate to be accepted.
—Robert Pape, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coercive
Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Wiseman’s response was to dig ever deeper into coercive social forces.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
Critics might argue, for instance, that offering financial incentives to forgo care is inherently coercive, particularly for lower-income patients for whom savings or incentives might prove irresistible.
—Jared Rhoads, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026
That pattern matters in democracies because coercive power must be perceived as legitimate to be accepted.
—Robert Pape, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coercive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coercive
Adjective
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Then late last year Stacey Wondra was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping in the second degree, destruction of evidence and a persistent violator enhancement, which can be added by prosecutors when someone has been convicted of at least three felonies.—
Alex Brizee
March 3,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Mar. 2026
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The department launched the HyCAT initiative in 2022 to address persistent testing bottlenecks.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That political alignment on one of the most pressing issues facing California may explain why voters are having such a difficult time deciding who to support.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The roughly two-week endeavor, led by Yuba Water and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, addressed the most pressing priority in the aftermath of the pipe rupture that officials expect will take months to assess and years to fully recover from.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coercive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coercive. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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