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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Malik Willis completed 13 of 25 passes for 128 yards and an interception while facing constant pressure from Detroit's front. — ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026 The Hurricanes gave up only two sacks but allowed 21 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
Verb
Had Patrick let the facts and evidence speak and not pressured GOP state senators to vote to acquit Paxton, the party could have put him in the rear-view mirror. — Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026 Chino Hills will need Baker to pressure the quarterback against Culver City, which throws for 372 yards per game with 40 touchdowns. — Staff Report, Oc Register, 6 Nov. 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
  • Half the group took part in an eight-week lifestyle education course on diet, exercise and stress.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • After waking up confused and barely able to speak, she was told by emergency room doctors to see a therapist for stress, but the problem was much more complex.
    — David Wahlberg, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of stress
Noun
  • The launch reflects a growing effort to address data center power constraints by distributing computing capacity across existing sites.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Building around constraints From the outset, the duo gave themselves a set of constraints to build around.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of constraint
Verb
  • Unreleased | Getty Images A spate of bomb threats against passenger flights has forced diversions, emergency landings and military escorts across European airspace this week, stoking fear among passengers and heaping pressure on airlines.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The abuse included shooting him with a BB gun, burning his genitals and forcing him to eat cat feces.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of force
Noun
  • However, the higher number of diversions places an additional strain on the system.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Hosts Atletico Madrid, too, suffered a huge blow recently, with central defender Cristian Romero ruled out due to a muscle strain.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of strain
Noun
  • The concern is when seeking reassurance becomes a compulsion—a behavior someone feels driven to repeat to relieve their distress.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Prediction markets then capitalize on the digital environments that profit from young people’s compulsions.
    — Amy L. Kennedy, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of compulsion
Verb
  • Knouse alleged it was coerced and that Sabatini created an inappropriate workplace dynamic.
    — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Locked under floors of concrete and alone in his cell with just a toilet and steel bed, Jurek coerces the man in the cell next to him to bash his head in.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of coerce
Noun
  • Amid ongoing tensions, Gallucci and the band parted ways in 2016, and Cold War Kids settled into their most stable lineup with Willett, Maust, Plummer, keyboardist Matthew Schwartz and guitarist David Quon, a fellow Biola alum.
    — Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The realization settled in for Republicans on Tuesday, when tensions flared over reelecting Senate GOP Leader John Thune (R-SD) and the rest of his leadership team over whether more time should be given to process the party’s election shellacking.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of tension
Noun
  • More problematic is the long history of alleged involvement of deputy gangs in violence, intimidation and other potentially criminal behavior.
    — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Democrats fear interference and voter intimidation as his Justice Department threatens to prosecute local election officials.
    — Jill Colvin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 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 12 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pressure

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