press

to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right the fleeing bank robber pressed a nearby taxi into service as a getaway car Synonyms arrogate, commandeer, convert, expropriate, pirate, preempt, press, seize, take over, usurpRelated Words annex, attach, claim, confiscate, impound, repossess, sequester; assume, collar, grab, grasp, snatch, steal, wrench, wrest; despoil, loot, pillage; encroach, infringe, invade, occupy, preoccupy, trespass; embezzle, misapply, misappropriate, misuse, peculate

1 to push steadily against with some force an old doorbell that requires you to press the button hard Synonyms bear (down on), depress, shove, weigh (on or upon) Related Words compress, mash, punch, squash, squeeze, squish, squoosh; compel, force, pressure; lean (on or against), muscle; drive, propel, thrust; compact, condense, constrict, contract, crush, scrunch, wring; cram, jam, jam-pack, pack, stuff, wedge

2 to apply external pressure on so as to force out the juice or contents of my family will only drink juice from freshly pressed oranges Synonyms crush, express, mash, squeeze Related Words ream; pulp, puree (or purée); extract, extrude

3 to gather into a closely packed group everyone pressed around me to see the pictures Synonyms bunch, cluster, crowd, huddle, pile Related Words assemble, collect, concenter, concentrate, conglomerate, congregate, convene, converge, flock, forgather (or foregather), herd, swarm, throng; encircle, mob, surround; embrace, hug Near Antonyms break up, disband, disperse, split (up)

4 to force one's way we continued to press deeper and deeper into the tangled rain forest Synonyms bore, bull, bulldoze, crash, elbow, jam, jostle, muscle, push, shoulder, squeeze Related Words ram, shove, thrust

5 to cause (a person) to give in to pressure a manager pressed by a business crisis to return from his vacation ahead of schedule Synonyms blackjack, coerce, compel, constrain, dragoon, drive, impel, impress, make, muscle, obligate, oblige, press, pressure, sandbagRelated Words browbeat, bulldoze, bully, cow, hector, intimidate; blackmail, high-pressure, menace, shame, terrorize, threaten; drag; badger, harass, houndNear Antonyms allow, let, permit; argue, convince, induce, move, persuade, prevail (on or upon), satisfy, talk (into), win (over)

6 to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action pressed us to go with them to the school board meeting Synonyms egg (on), encourage, exhort, goad, nudge, press, prod, promptRelated Words drive, propel, spur, stimulate; hurry, hustle, push, rush; adjure, beseech, implore, importune; blandish, cajole, coax, soft-soap, wheedle; high-pressure, nag, needle, pressure; foment, incite, instigate, provoke, stir (up)Near Antonyms deter, discourage, dissuade; brake, check, constrain, curb, hold back, inhibit, restrain

7 to indicate the importance of by centering attention on an office e-mail that presses the need for greater vigilance concerning building security Synonyms accent, accentuate, feature, foreground, highlight, illuminate, play up, point (up), press, punctuate, stressRelated Words focus, identify, pinpoint, spotlight; advertise, boost, plug, promote, publicize; overplayNear Antonyms tone (down), underemphasize, understate; belittle, discount, disparage, minimizeAntonyms de-emphasize, play down