as in squeezed
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Dissimilar Words
as in seized
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 & Similar Words
1
as in shoved
to push steadily against with some force
an old doorbell that requires you to press the button hard
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
as in huddled
to gather into a closely packed group
everyone pressed around me to see the pictures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in compelled
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in urged
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in emphasized
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
an office e-mail that presses the need for greater vigilance concerning building security
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pressed
Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026
South Texas — along with much of the state — has been hard-pressed to see any meaningful rainfall since the start of 2026.
—Anthony Franze, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Feb. 2026
But without star forward JT Toppin, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury, the Red Raiders will be hard-pressed to survive the opening weekend, much less the regionals.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026
Not Washing Rice Before Cooking We’d be hard-pressed to find many old-school Southern cooks who wanted to spend the time rinsing rice before cooking.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026
With growing environmental pressures, engineers have lately been hard-pressed to develop circular approaches that use industrial CO₂ emissions to produce valuable chemicals.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
The full ad, which dropped on Thursday, features a virtually unrecognizable Fieri clad in sensible slacks and a pressed button-up, without his iconic frosted tips or goatee.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
New England’s Drake Maye, 23, is the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl (Dan Marino was the youngest) and will be hard-pressed to find much success against Seattle’s dominant defense.
—Keven Lerner, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
They’re favored by 3 1/2 points over the New England Patriots, who will be hard-pressed to overcome Seattle’s powerful lines, explosiveness and complete roster.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
Trump, when pressed, dodges the issue of war aims by pointing to the excellence of the military.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
She was repeatedly pressed about contracts awarded surrounding the campaign.
—Rebecca Santana, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Cho told lawmakers at a parliamentary hearing Friday that military officials from the two countries were working closely together, confirming discussions were under way when pressed by an opposition lawmaker.
—Myungshin Cho, Bloomberg, 6 Mar. 2026
Council members LaWana Slack-Mayfield, Malcolm Graham and Joi Mayo, whose west Charlotte District 3 contains most of the affected part of I-77, pressed the agency on its slow responses to their questions, asked in November, shortly after NCDOT released its maps for the first time.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2026
Several questioners pressed Steyer on his positions on Israel’s actions in Palestine and asked him to work to divest state entities from Israeli companies.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 6 Mar. 2026
She was repeatedly pressed about contracts awarded surrounding the campaign.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Lawmakers who supported that authorization were repeatedly pressed to defend their positions, particularly when seeking higher office.
—Nik Popli, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
But the Chiefs would be hard-pressed to not at least field calls from other teams on a potential trade-back.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026
South Texas — along with much of the state — has been hard-pressed to see any meaningful rainfall since the start of 2026.
—Anthony Franze, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Feb. 2026
But without star forward JT Toppin, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury, the Red Raiders will be hard-pressed to survive the opening weekend, much less the regionals.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026
Not Washing Rice Before Cooking We’d be hard-pressed to find many old-school Southern cooks who wanted to spend the time rinsing rice before cooking.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026
With growing environmental pressures, engineers have lately been hard-pressed to develop circular approaches that use industrial CO₂ emissions to produce valuable chemicals.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
The full ad, which dropped on Thursday, features a virtually unrecognizable Fieri clad in sensible slacks and a pressed button-up, without his iconic frosted tips or goatee.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
New England’s Drake Maye, 23, is the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl (Dan Marino was the youngest) and will be hard-pressed to find much success against Seattle’s dominant defense.
—Keven Lerner, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
They’re favored by 3 1/2 points over the New England Patriots, who will be hard-pressed to overcome Seattle’s powerful lines, explosiveness and complete roster.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
Bazaldua cut in and pressed ahead with more questions.
—Devyani Chhetri, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
Trump, when pressed, dodges the issue of war aims by pointing to the excellence of the military.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
She was repeatedly pressed about contracts awarded surrounding the campaign.
—Rebecca Santana, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Cho told lawmakers at a parliamentary hearing Friday that military officials from the two countries were working closely together, confirming discussions were under way when pressed by an opposition lawmaker.
—Myungshin Cho, Bloomberg, 6 Mar. 2026
Council members LaWana Slack-Mayfield, Malcolm Graham and Joi Mayo, whose west Charlotte District 3 contains most of the affected part of I-77, pressed the agency on its slow responses to their questions, asked in November, shortly after NCDOT released its maps for the first time.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2026
Several questioners pressed Steyer on his positions on Israel’s actions in Palestine and asked him to work to divest state entities from Israeli companies.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 6 Mar. 2026
She was repeatedly pressed about contracts awarded surrounding the campaign.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Lawmakers who supported that authorization were repeatedly pressed to defend their positions, particularly when seeking higher office.
—Nik Popli, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pressed
Adjective
-
Many of the recipes are simple variations on the classic spread, from a pimiento cheese filled with pickled okra to a pineapple variation (made with crushed pineapple from a can, naturally).—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Seasons in the Hindu Kush—Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,2009–11, has the spectator stand above crushed pots as if surveying terrain from above—the godlike perspective of the Mercator projection, where mountains become miniature and geography flattens into a navigable surface.—
Anel Rakhimzhanova,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
China’s military has unveiled a combat drone converted from a Soviet–era fighter jet, a development that could enable massed drone attacks in any future conflict over Taiwan.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pressed. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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