as in to force
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
always manages to sandbag her sister into joining her in these foolish schemes
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Recent Examples of sandbag
These are not ideal circumstances by any means, after being sandbagged by the Justice Department, but trial continues.
—
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
In Nett’s case, announce and then roll back announcements of a new album that’s been prone to leaks and sandbagged by indecision.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
The Rest of the Conversation There was more, on hiring Olympians, free food, sandbagging (not telling the truth) and territorial office wars.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Marty had a tendency to sandbag himself.
—Julien Levy, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sandbag
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
In Nett’s case, announce and then roll back announcements of a new album that’s been prone to leaks and sandbagged by indecision.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
The Rest of the Conversation There was more, on hiring Olympians, free food, sandbagging (not telling the truth) and territorial office wars.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Marty had a tendency to sandbag himself.
—Julien Levy, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sandbag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sandbag
Verb
-
Let things settle, then take one clear step that actually feels aligned and manageable without forcing unnecessary effort or adding extra pressure to yourself.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
Though embedded in society, these young characters are Kaspar Hauser-like figures, spectrally isolated from the signifying world, forced to construct meaning for themselves, from the ground up.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Without that market competition, the plaintiffs argued, gamers were coerced into paying higher prices, effectively allowing Sony to monopolize the sale of its digital PlayStation games.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
-
Emerging in the 1940s, this framework reframed fertility not as something to be coerced outright, but as something that could — and should — be rationally managed through planning, education, and access to contraception.—
Sonya Borrero,
STAT,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Grant was compelled to celebrate the nation’s hundredth anniversary just as its boldest experiment in democracy to date was being dismantled.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Her new perspective gazes at us directly, compelling us to meet her eye.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
Verb
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After the Rams took Simpson, Holmes said the Lions felt good about their chances of getting Miller at 17 and didn’t feel obligated to trade up.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The answer can have serious implications in a variety of scenarios, including when an employee is owed overtime pay and whether an additional company is obligated to pay it.—
Keith Sonderling,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Chonkers, a roughly 2,000-pound Steller sea lion, has muscled his way onto San Francisco’s most famous floating docks and turned the place into his personal stage.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
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His groundstrokes rip through the court, but the power all comes from timing and the kinetic chain, rather than muscling or heaving the ball.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Of course, Brown obliged the crowd’s request for second-year point guard Tyler Kolek.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
-
If the Wild want to play like this for the whole series — a lot of wide-open stuff, with a little dirty mixed in — the Avs are more than happy to oblige.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sandbag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sandbag. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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