as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
complied with the order only under duress
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of duress
The women requested more time to decide, while some signed under duress, Jetson said.
—
Jessica Hill, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
The hamate is not the only body part under duress thus far.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
The rookie left tackle allowed a sack and several pressures against a Seattle defense that had Drake Maye under duress virtually all night.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
Such severe renal failure is rare, but potentially life-threatening, and more likely when the renal system is already under duress during intense exercise, like running an ultra.
—Dan England, Outside, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for duress
Jessica Hill, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
The hamate is not the only body part under duress thus far.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
The rookie left tackle allowed a sack and several pressures against a Seattle defense that had Drake Maye under duress virtually all night.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
Such severe renal failure is rare, but potentially life-threatening, and more likely when the renal system is already under duress during intense exercise, like running an ultra.
—Dan England, Outside, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for duress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duress
Noun
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Weak onshore flows will then return Saturday, which combined with a weakening high pressure system are expected to bring five to 10 degrees of cooling to the coasts and valleys but little change across interior sections, according to the weather service.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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Iran may have positioned the Houthis as a regional player that can exert pressure on Iran’s neighbors, but the Houthis have always put their own interests first.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Although global turmoil, including Russia's war in Ukraine, has revived debate over Japan acquiring nuclear weapons, domestic support remains low because of legal and political constraints.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
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Because gout, too, imposes constraint and requires accommodation.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Run with a creative compulsion as Venus and Uranus harmonize!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
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Mania of the week Graphomania — obsessive compulsion to write, also known as scribomania.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Kearney is facing several witness intimidation charges connected to the case.—
Kristina Rex,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Donaldson was acquitted of intimidation, strangulation and a misdemeanor interference with the reporting of the crime.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Through favors and coercion, both couples vie for the approval of the elitist club’s Korean billionaire owner, Chairwoman Park (Youn Yuh-hung), who struggles to manage her own scandal involving her second husband, Doctor Kim (Song Kang-ho).—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2026
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In practice, they are enmeshed in the same web of patronage and coercion as the rest of the system.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Duress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duress. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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