1
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
he was muscled out of command by his opponents at military headquarters
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Recent Examples of muscling
Despite the officer’s orders, Chakraborty turns the door handle, opens the door and is seen muscling his way through as White fires four shots.
—
Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
With Johnson muscling inside or hitting jumpers long and short, and with considerable help from Mikey Williams and Mark Lavrenov, Sacramento State outlasted Montana State 83-80 with a thrilling finish in front of another full house of nearly 3,000 at sparkling Hornet Pavilion.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Mendoza scored, slipping a tackle and muscling his way into the end zone to put the Hoosiers up by 10 with nine minutes left.
—Alanis Thames, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Brooks could provide an early test of GOP support for Abbott’s signature voucher program, fresh off the governor’s success in muscling it through the legislature.
—Isaac Yu, Houston Chronicle, 16 Jan. 2026
However, muscling the Fed to lower rates and reduce or destroy its independence is another matter.
—Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
But Biden and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is retiring from the House at age 85, got credit for muscling through significant legislation with thin Democratic majorities.
—Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025
Pfizer is muscling up in the slimdown fight.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
With Johnson muscling inside or hitting jumpers long and short, and with considerable help from Mikey Williams and Mark Lavrenov, Sacramento State outlasted Montana State 83-80 with a thrilling finish in front of another full house of nearly 3,000 at sparkling Hornet Pavilion.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Mendoza scored, slipping a tackle and muscling his way into the end zone to put the Hoosiers up by 10 with nine minutes left.
—Alanis Thames, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Brooks could provide an early test of GOP support for Abbott’s signature voucher program, fresh off the governor’s success in muscling it through the legislature.
—Isaac Yu, Houston Chronicle, 16 Jan. 2026
However, muscling the Fed to lower rates and reduce or destroy its independence is another matter.
—Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
But Biden and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is retiring from the House at age 85, got credit for muscling through significant legislation with thin Democratic majorities.
—Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025
Pfizer is muscling up in the slimdown fight.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscling
Verb
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Rodríguez is the closest of the Yankees’ top pitching prospects after starting last season at High-A, forcing his way to Double-A, and earning a brief promotion to Triple-A for his last start of the year.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
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Similarly, many public schools in Chicago, and across Illinois, are facing low enrollment and financial strain forcing families to look elsewhere for their education.—
Froylan Jimenez,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wiener is also pushing new legislation — called the No Kings Act — that would allow people in California to sue federal agents for violating their rights.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
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Home prices and mortgage rates have soared over the past several years, pushing home ownership out of reach for many Americans.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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The solar sector has been grappling with a prolonged price slump and oversupply, squeezing margins even as leading producers continue to add capacity.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
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For generations, Americans who wanted orange juice without the work of squeezing fresh fruit cracked open a can and watched a cylinder of frozen juice go ker-plunk into a pitcher.—
Dee-Ann Durbin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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In season four, Mike’s (Renner) control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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After obliging, the rapper started to riff by adding some new insults.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
22 Dec. 2025
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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The arrest report also stated that Ramirez-Mesa was driving at least twice the speed limit, which was 40 miles per hour.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
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Cops quickly determined the 42-year-old suspect was drunk behind the wheel and charged him with driving while intoxicated.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muscling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscling. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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