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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

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 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 The promotion was built to be fighter-first, a phrase Bidarian repeated four times in a conversation with The Athletic on Monday, and for years those fighters were solely boxers, including Paul muscling into the sport with his fame as an influencer. — Mark Puleo, New York Times, 17 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
  1. forcing
  2. pushing
  3. coercing
  4. squeezing
  5. compelling
  6. obliging
  7. obligating
  8. driving
Verb
  • From here, the Manchester City defender sprints into the six-yard box to meet the corner, forcing a good save from Dominik Livakovic, with his team-mates unable to scramble the ball over the line.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, raging forest fires and a red-alert heat wave are shaking up France’s biggest national holiday, forcing the cancellation of traditional fireworks and firefighters’ balls.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Definition of forcing
Verb
  • More than 200 people were turned away at the door as the venue reached capacity, with several dozen protesters briefly pushing past security and forcing entry into the room.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • The combination of rising demand, tighter schedules and growing sensitivity to pet welfare is pushing more people toward mobile options.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 10 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
  • Planning a Broadway show night in New York City means squeezing a full day into the blocks around Times Square, and the right pre-Broadway show itinerary can turn a two-hour ticket into a memorable outing.
    — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026
  • The result is a new generation of patients planning trips around treatments rather than squeezing appointments into an existing vacation.
    — Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • 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
  • The surge in chip investment and demand has reignited economic growth and inflation, compelling the Bank of Korea (BOK) to consider aggressive rate hikes.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 19 June 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
Verb
  • Rodríguez Castro can be seen wearing a New York Yankees shirt, moving suggestively to driving percussive beats, punctuated by catchy, syncopated vocals.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Rainy weather driving tips Switch on headlights - Even during daylight hours, using headlights can enhance visibility and signal your presence to other drivers.
    — STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 July 2026
Definition of driving

Browse Nearby Words

muscles
muscling
muscular
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Cite this Entry

“Muscling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscling. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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