Synonyms of muscling

muscling

verb

present participle of muscle

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• forcing
• coercing
• compelling
• obliging
• obligating
• driving
• pressuring
• constraining
• pressing
• impressing
• blackmailing
• sandbagging
• dragooning
• intimidating
• making
• bullying
• impelling
• browbeating
• blackjacking
• bulldozing
• threatening
• dragging
• cowing
• terrorizing
• twisting one's arm
• shaming
• hectoring
• badgering
• menacing
• harassing
• hounding
• high-pressuring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• letting
• allowing
• permitting
• moving
• talking (into)
• arguing
• inducing
• satisfying
• winning (over)
• prevailing (on or upon)
• convincing
• persuading

2

as in pushing

to force one's way

muscling straight through the packed crowd of people waiting to board the ship

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pushing
• squeezing
• shoving
• jostling
• elbowing
• jamming
• pressing
• crashing
• bulldozing
• shouldering
• thrusting
• bulling
• boring
• ramming

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of muscling

Where one of his horses might have tried muscling their way out of the Shake Shack to get away from Harkness, the wily Lamb simply creates a big scene over a patron asking him to stop smoking. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026

The actor has also been muscling his way into movies, appearing as part of the ensemble of the 2023 Fast & Furious movie Fast 10 and in 2024’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare from Lionsgate. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

Tracking back against a two-on-one rush, Björck eliminated Aleksandr Legkov from the play by muscling him away from the inside of the ice, and then got the puck to Taillefer with a body check and a stick sweep along the boards. — Murat Ates, New York Times, 14 Sep. 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 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