as in to intimidate
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
developers trying to strong-arm homeowners into selling their houses at below-market prices
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Recent Examples of strong-arm
Hezbollah, for the longest time, was strong-arming other parties, and they are accused of assassinating a former Prime Minister.
—
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Now, the question of whether the US could again use force – or tactics like tariffs or sanctions – to strong-arm countries into choosing Washington’s interests over ties with China is a viable risk being evaluated in the region’s capitals.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
The government has previously tried to charge Lemon in a steadily escalating campaign involving a string of highly unusual legal moves to strong-arm courts into conceding to its demands.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
The White House’s push to suppress the Smithsonian’s programming is part of an attempt to strong-arm influential cultural institutions and, in turn, culture itself.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strong-arm
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Now, the question of whether the US could again use force – or tactics like tariffs or sanctions – to strong-arm countries into choosing Washington’s interests over ties with China is a viable risk being evaluated in the region’s capitals.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
The government has previously tried to charge Lemon in a steadily escalating campaign involving a string of highly unusual legal moves to strong-arm courts into conceding to its demands.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
The White House’s push to suppress the Smithsonian’s programming is part of an attempt to strong-arm influential cultural institutions and, in turn, culture itself.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strong-arm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strong-arm
Verb
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Any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crew members can lead to penalties of up to $43,658 per violation, according to the FAA.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
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The motion also argued that Chris Gerodemos was a present danger to extortion Victim #2 and his entire family, if released, and a substantial risk to threaten, injure, or intimidate a prospective witness.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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To be a kid, though, was to be bullied.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
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The Wolves bullied Denver with offensive rebounds throughout the night, even when bruising backup center Jonas Valanciunas was on the floor.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Strong-arm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strong-arm. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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