MUSCLING Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

muscling

verb

present participle of muscle

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in pushing

to force one's way muscling straight through the packed crowd of people waiting to board the ship

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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 muscling Adrien Rabiot — France/Milan (-5) Succeeded in muscling Yamal off the ball a couple of times in the early minutes against Spain, but France’s structure left him chasing shadows for the rest of the first half and frustration took hold. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 July 2026 For now, however, investors are likely breathing a collective sigh of relief, after muscling through an anxious first half that included major geopolitical conflicts, and tremors around the potential for AI disruption. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 26 June 2026 The Pitt, then, is a fitting gig, with its gritty portrayal of a hustling ER full of vulnerable patients and clinicians collectively muscling through. — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026 The Antonoff of the early Bleachers albums was pop’s pint-sized pugilist, muscling his way to the front of the pack. — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 30 May 2026 Estimates that more than 200,000 could be on hand to witness the event seemed to come to fruition as beaches, parks and roadways jam were packed with crowds muscling for their place to see the fiery spectacle make its way out over the Atlantic. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026 The headache of muscling a bill through the Senate, a chamber with its own unique set of rules and senator privileges, was enough to keep Thune from pursuing reconciliation until this week. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026 Both teams were hot then, and the game was competitive down into the final minutes in Gainesville, with Florida muscling it out. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026 Held is in good company at Goldman Sachs, where former pros are muscling their distinct skill sets to succeed in new careers. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscling

Verb

In an attempt to prevent the demonstration from entering Gaza,the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared the area a closed military zone, forcing organizers to alter the route.

— Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Rivero must connect those systems without forcing restaurants, wineries and bars into the same operating model.

— Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of forcing

Verb

The former youth pastor suspected of pushing his wife off a Utah cliff died by suicide in a very unusual way, said the sheriff who oversees Las Vegas’ jails.

— Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
As a car speeds up, the air resistance pushing against it increases and forces the engine to work harder, using more fuel to achieve the same speed.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 July 2026

Definition of pushing

Verb

Travis Reed, who was a fire captain with the now-defunct Briar Volunteer Fire Department, admitted to coercing a minor into producing child pornography in September, according to a summary of facts in the case.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2026
The Justice Against Weaponized Bureaucratic Overreach to Networked Expression Act would prohibit federal agencies and employees from coercing or trying to coerce broadcasters and providers of online services or AI services into changing content.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 11 June 2026

Definition of coercing

Verb

McGurk argued that, if the return of the hostages was the only way to end the war, then publicly squeezing Israel to protect civilians could paradoxically prolong the fighting, resulting in more Palestinian deaths.

— David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
De la Fuente’s forwards press aggressively, while centre-backs Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte hold a high defensive line, squeezing the pitch and pinning their opponents back.

— Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 20 July 2026

Definition of squeezing

Verb

Cruise portrays Digger Rockwell, an eccentric oil magnate whose decisions put the world on the brink of catastrophe, ultimately compelling him to embark on an improbable mission to rescue humanity.

— Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026
His mission is to keep photos of the lounge off social media, compelling the curious to come in and see it for themselves.

— John Wenzel, Denver Post, 8 July 2026

Definition of compelling

Verb

The Swedish parliament on Monday adopted a law obliging public sector workers to report to the police any migrants who are not authorized to live in Sweden.

— Claudia Ciobanu, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
The incident triggered a fire alarm, obliging the entire French delegation — some of whom were still in their pyjamas — to evacuate the building.

— Tom Williams, New York Times, 17 May 2026

Definition of obliging

Verb

Your 11th House of Friends lights up as the life-giving Sun energizes that area, squaring obligating Saturn in your 8th House of Intimacy and Shared Resources.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2026
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

Definition of obligating

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muscles

muscling

muscular

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“Muscling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscling. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of muscling

verb

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