as in interests
a group of people with a common identifying interest that they seek to protect and promote
observed that if publishers gave in to every pressure group, nothing would ever get published
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 groups
Cosseted by favorable districts and incumbent fundraising advantages, the majority caters mostly to pressure groups — especially socially conservative ones — that influence Republican primaries.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Johnson is calling for coordinated national efforts led by mayors and state governments, in concert with public pressure groups and local residents, to combat the actions by ICE, the Border Patrol and other federal authorities.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
At the same time, pressure groups worked hard to get younger, more YIMBY legislators elected.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Nearly 72% of censorship attempts in 2024 were initiated by pressure groups and decision makers who have been swayed by them.
—Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Johnson is calling for coordinated national efforts led by mayors and state governments, in concert with public pressure groups and local residents, to combat the actions by ICE, the Border Patrol and other federal authorities.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
At the same time, pressure groups worked hard to get younger, more YIMBY legislators elected.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Nearly 72% of censorship attempts in 2024 were initiated by pressure groups and decision makers who have been swayed by them.
—Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pressure groups
Noun
-
Port Harcourt was founded in 1913 and governed by the military, the police, and by courts that upheld colonial law to protect British commercial interests and missionaries.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
-
As per Kadas, the app is engineered specifically to facilitate real-world interactions between users who share common interests and live within close geographical proximity, and they are matched on those very factors.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
A number of other interest groups, such as Turning Point USA and Club For Growth, have also pledged to support primary challengers seeking to oust anti-redistricting incumbents.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Hollywood players, Wall Streeters, public interest groups guilds and lawmakers will know, definitively, where to direct their fire.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As turbulent as the weather has been, so has the flurry of TV and streaming ads and political mailings from the candidates, as well as from special interests seeking to influence voters.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Candidates sniped at each other — though rarely by name — for being too rich, too beholden to special interests or for voting in the past in support of ICE and border wall funding.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pressure groups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pressure%20groups. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
