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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pressure
Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 28 Jan. 2026
Nearly half will be office space, lifting pressure on a zone that is already operating at full capacity, Bloomberg reported.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Public scrutiny mounted when a former jail captain sued the department, saying Bianco had pressured her not to participate in a civil grand jury investigation of jail conditions and retaliated against jail staff who spoke out about misconduct.
—Christopher Damien, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pressure
Noun
If the pressure relief valve begins hissing or spraying water, then something is wrong.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 28 Jan. 2026
Nearly half will be office space, lifting pressure on a zone that is already operating at full capacity, Bloomberg reported.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
Rodriguez claims in the lawsuit, which alleges wrongful death, that the pills were ordered by his girlfriend’s estranged husband who then pressured her to take them to end the pregnancies.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Public scrutiny mounted when a former jail captain sued the department, saying Bianco had pressured her not to participate in a civil grand jury investigation of jail conditions and retaliated against jail staff who spoke out about misconduct.
—Christopher Damien, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pressure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pressure
Noun
-
Schroeder and Pepper note that while girls are often socialized to name feelings, seek help, and build collaborative relationships, boys receive far fewer tools for navigating stress, conflict, and uncertainty.—
Dr. Liz Doe Stone,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Antidepressants are also used to treat a wide variety of other conditions, such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These environmental constraints are compounded by human impact.—
Outside,
Outside,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The Clintons had been seeking to negotiate terms with Comer to avoid a contempt vote, including to introduce constraints to the duration and scope of questioning, but ultimately agreed to comply with all of Comer’s demands.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But without any leads nor money to return back to her comfortable life in India, Mehr is forced to work as a housemaid for these eccentric artists Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelley.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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Choreographed to perfection, yet not in a way that felt forced in the slightest, Bono and company distilled their brilliant Elevation Tour into a spellbinding three-song set that found the band performing while names of terrorist victims were shown on the big screen.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Onsite diesel generators are an emergency solution for large users such as data centers to reduce strain on the grid.—
Conor Harrison,
The Conversation,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Similarly, many public schools in Chicago, and across Illinois, are facing low enrollment and financial strain forcing families to look elsewhere for their education.—
Froylan Jimenez,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
James, not unlike his alcoholic father, is at the mercy of his compulsions.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Conditional Belonging Leads To Compulsive Giving A 2019 study on attachment and development points to a common origin story for this compulsion.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The uncle alleged that the donations made by Yamagami’s mother, which by then totalled seven hundred thousand dollars, had been coerced.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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Don't let somebody coerce you into scanning them up on the floor, because everybody's trying to get to Coach Prime.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Further talks were expected on Sunday in Abu Dhabi, but that could change because of a spike in tensions between the United States and Iran.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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The Minnesota Timberwolves released a statement from its players regarding the rising anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tensions in Minneapolis.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
He was previously charged with domestic violence, intimidation, possession of a weapon, violation of a court order and vehicle theft, the agency said.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
This week, Scott was convicted of witness intimidation by a jury.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pressure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pressure. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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