pressure 1 of 2

noun

ˈpre-shər How to pronounce pressure (audio)
Definition of pressurenext
1
as in stress
the burden on one's emotional or mental well-being created by demands on one's time a business executive who works well under pressure

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2
as in constraint
the use of power to impose one's will on another pressure from their peers can often cause teens to do things that they normally wouldn't consider

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pressure

2 of 2

verb

as in to force
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure his father pressured him to go out for the swim team

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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 pressure
Noun
Reconsideration should not be understood as capitulation to industry or advocacy pressure. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 14 July 2026 This same, sprawling area of high pressure brought remarkable 115-degree heat to Montana on Sunday and 100-degree heat to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Monday. — Ben Noll, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
Verb
Employees who had served the government for twenty years or more were targeted for job termination or pressured to resign. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026 Activists had pressured Zeldin for months to crack down on microplastics and other environmental contaminants. — Ali Swenson, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pressure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pressure
  1. stress
  2. constraint
  3. force
  4. strain
  5. compulsion
  6. coerce
  7. tension
  8. intimidation
Noun
  • Duell said the constant stress of caring for her child has led to numerous health problems, including gut pain and heart palpitations.
    — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 13 July 2026
  • Ask about restraint systems, since grooming loops and harnesses should secure the animal without causing stress or restricting breathing.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026
Definition of stress
Noun
  • Newsom trimmed California’s initial commitment to local newsrooms in the program’s first year from $100 million, with $55 million coming from Google, to $10 million, from the state and Google each, in response to budgetary constraints.
    — Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • The company's approach could address one of the central constraints facing Apple's AI strategy.
    — MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Definition of constraint
Verb
  • Flair then turned her attention to Cargill and hit a big boot, forcing the disqualification.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • Funding challenges have forced the closure of re-entry homes like the one at Charlotte’s McLeod Center and the shuttering of re-entry organizations like Redirection-NC as well as local reentry councils across the state.
    — Amber Gaudet July 18, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
Definition of force
Noun
  • It's caused not only health issues but financial strain on employees.
    — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • The strain is most visible in Michigan, which has reported more than 3,300 cases, compared with roughly 50 cases in a typical year.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of strain
Noun
  • Generalized anxiety may manifest itself in depression, compulsion or restlessness.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • These obsessions lead you to do repetitive behaviors, also called compulsions.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of compulsion
Verb
  • Enterprises that route requests between multiple models can be coerced into selecting the weakest route.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • What’s not clear is whether the department will eventually use its muscle to coerce builders, suppliers, and property owners into upgrading their sheds and fielding them more sparingly.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 24 June 2026
Definition of coerce
Noun
  • Wall Street looked past geopolitical tensions with benchmark indexes rising on Big Tech strength and signs of easing inflation, even as Middle East hostilities escalated.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • But Wednesday’s amendment vote is a preview of Democratic tensions to come after nearly half of the caucus voted to support it, including leaders like Whip Katherine Clark and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 16 July 2026
Definition of tension
Noun
  • The pattern includes shootings and attacks on farmers, as well as arson, property destruction, road obstruction, and the intimidation or expulsion of entire communities.
    — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
  • Judges around the country have seen a rise in threats of violence and intimidation, including a fake swatting call to police about Barrett’s home in May.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Definition of intimidation

Phrases Containing pressure

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pressmen
pressure
pressure-cook
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Cite this Entry

“Pressure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pressure. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pressure

Nglish: Translation of pressure for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pressure

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