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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of strong-arm
The Democrats’ anger has been building all year, as immigration enforcement agents have used what critics say are strong-arm tactics to find undocumented immigrants.
—
David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 14 Jan. 2026
On Thursday Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne invoked Article 49 of the French constitution, which enabled the Macron government to strong-arm a bill through the National Assembly without a vote.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2023
Both Sides Win In a difficult market, taking a strong-arm position may backfire.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023
Government shouldn’t ban their working situation in order to empower labor organizers to strong-arm them into joining a union.
—The Editors, National Review, 2 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for strong-arm
David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 14 Jan. 2026
On Thursday Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne invoked Article 49 of the French constitution, which enabled the Macron government to strong-arm a bill through the National Assembly without a vote.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2023
Both Sides Win In a difficult market, taking a strong-arm position may backfire.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023
Government shouldn’t ban their working situation in order to empower labor organizers to strong-arm them into joining a union.
—The Editors, National Review, 2 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for strong-arm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strong-arm
Verb
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But overall, the Seahawks’ run game is far from intimidating, ranking 14th by DVOA and even worse by other advanced metrics, mostly due to an average offensive line with clear weak spots.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
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While the idea of pouring water through your nose can sound intimidating, millions of people swear by it for easing congestion and improving breathing.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In 2021, the mother of one of Asher Vann’s friends accused him of bullying her son and began a social media campaign against him.—
Jane Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
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The young boy then has to navigate being 10 and being bullied, having crushes on girls, all while older siblings Yvette (Essence Atkins) and Marcus (Jason Weaver) cringe at the thought of him being at the same high school.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The intelligence reports warn that 764 and its many offshoots have expanded into a transnational, online network that glorifies violence and tries to coerce people, often minors, to hurt themselves or others.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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Criminals usually target people who have publicly boasted about their crypto winnings, and physically coerce them to give up their Bitcoin key.—
Carlos Garcia,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strong-arm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strong-arm. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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