PRESSURES Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

pressures 1 of 2

noun

plural of pressure

as in stresses

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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as in constraints

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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pressures

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of pressure

as in forces

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 pressures

Noun

Looking purely at inflationary pressures, the case for the Federal Reserve to raise rates further is also growing. — CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026 The unit paved the way for a 228-yard rushing performance and allowed just four pressures. — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Still, pressures are piling up, with some warning that future cases of art theft could be likely as vulnerabilities persist. — Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026 But Kenya risks blurring that argument with a broader political message that foreigners are responsible for the pressures facing local workers. — Vivianne Wandera, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026 When Miley asked how Taylor-Joy is managing the pressures of entering such a major property, the actress shrugged it off. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026 Pattaya born of the Vietnam War In calling in a port near Pattaya, the Lincoln is coming to a rest-and-relaxation spot made famous during the Vietnam War-era as a raucous destination for US servicemembers to unwind from the pressures of war. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026 The president's move to tariff Canada comes as households in the United States are already facing financial pressures stemming from rising gas prices in the midst of the war in Iran, which has crossed the six-month mark. — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress last year only magnified those financial pressures. — Lauren Chan, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026

Verb

If a message pressures you to donate immediately, verify your identity or click a link before a deadline, avoid using the link in the email when anything feels off. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026 But when her father pressures her into an unwanted engagement, her resolve is tested. — Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 The scrutiny raised questions about what could happen to his Carvana position if fallout from the investigation pressures him to raise cash. — Yun Li, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026 When The Park pressures him to turn against Lamb and his colleagues to pin MI5’s failure on Slough House, Struan ultimately caves. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026 The government has offered cash incentives to those willing to leave and pressures others to give up legal efforts by holding them in detention. — Cindy Carcamo, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 2026 If a company pressures you into signing a contract before evaluating other options, that’s a red flag. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 3 July 2026 An activist often pressures a board to focus more on costs, assets, and capital allocation. — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 Allocation system pressures dealers. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 18 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pressures

Noun

Over the years, oil chemistries have gotten more sophisticated to cope with the stresses of tinier engines pushing bigger boost while also mitigating their environmental impact.

— Adam Ismail, The Drive, 10 Sep. 2026
Despite the stresses of early fame, Smith remained optimistic about the future.

— News Desk, Artforum, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of stresses

Noun

Satellite operators need efficient thrusters, but propulsion hardware must also fit tight spacecraft mass and integration constraints.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
It was made by whoever decided what success meant, what access existed, what constraints were removed and what failure was acceptable.

— Beth Miller, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of constraints

Verb

For the third time tonight, Evans forces Winter Park to turn the ball over on downs, this time at the 8 yard line.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
La Gradiva takes a tragic turn in its final act that forces a reexamination of the loose, observant filmmaking that led to it.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of forces

Noun

Markets seem trapped in a cycle of Iran tensions leading to higher oil prices, which leads to stocks moving lower and ultimately inflation concerns rising.

— Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
The two sides later launched trade talks and called off some of their most stringent measures, but tensions have remained high.

— Joe Walsh, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of tensions

Noun

The real question is whether Pennsylvania and cities like Pittsburgh want skill games and other gambling opportunities to be widespread and unavoidable for people who struggle with compulsions to gamble.

— Jonathan Caulkins, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
These obsessions lead you to do repetitive behaviors, also called compulsions.

— Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026

Definition of compulsions

Verb

My banter with Cormac focuses on the institute, what compels him to be here.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026
The deal compels Facebook and Instagram to adopt new child-safety rules, including daily time caps, school-hour notification bans, stronger age checks and expanded parental controls aimed at harmful content.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of compels

Noun

The AfD was created in 2013 as a small anti-euro party before morphing into an anti-migrant force that tapped into voter frustration over immigration and the strains many Germans perceive on housing, jobs and public services.

— Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
The world needs research to keep just ahead of the latest challenges—such as rising temperatures and new strains of old agricultural diseases.

— Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of strains

Verb

However, the rotation of this filament clearly dominates how the galaxies within it spin, perhaps by funneling hydrogen gas along the dark-matter filament and onto the galaxies in a way that coerces their spin while providing further fuel for star formation.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Dec. 2025
Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, Ali, a university professor, coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025