strong-arming 1 of 2

noun

as in bullying

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strong-arming

2 of 2

verb

present participle of strong-arm
as in intimidating
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 strong-arming
Verb
Tech leaders have quietly backed Anthropic, saying that AI isn’t ready for some weapons and that strong-arming companies is counterproductive and antidemocratic. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strong-arming
  1. bullying
  2. intimidating
  3. threat
  4. coercing
  5. bulldozing
  6. frenzy
  7. revolt
  8. upheaval
Noun
  • Many of them are angry that his life was taken, and say that more resources to combat gun violence and bullying should be available.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The victim’s heartbroken father said his son had been bullied by a couple of students at the school who were recently suspended — and believes the bullying may have something to do with Javits’ murder.
    — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • That house was enormous and sat on the corner with a huge wraparound porch and was intimidating as could be.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • These actions are reckless and run the risk of intimidating and disenfranchising voters.
    — Eric McDaniel, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of intimidating
Noun
  • Fiscal threats from Washington are putting our financial future at risk.
    — Ryder Kessler, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The systems also have the ability to react to drone threats that are detected using both passive and active sensor systems, such as electro-optical and infrared cameras, or Ku-band radars.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of threat
Verb
  • In lawsuits filed last year, Chegg and PMC accused Google of abusing its monopoly power by coercing publishers into supplying content for AI Overviews for free, or risk disappearing from search results.
    — Emma Roth, The Verge, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Playing that cat, a work camp warden coercing Hawke’s character into smuggling gold through the wilderness, is none other than Russell Crowe.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of coercing
Noun
  • The demands to stop the bulldozing and construction of areas in the Big Bend region of Texas are continuing, despite a pause in the work.
    — Ken Molestina, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Outside, the ceaseless roar of jackhammering and bulldozing went on as the ballroom, challenged by lawsuits and protected by that titanium fencing, took shape.
    — Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
Definition of bulldozing
Noun
  • At the same time, stocks of computer chip companies and other winners from the frenzy to build AI data centers have come under pressure on concerns that high interest rates may slow the further build out of data centers.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • So readers will have less than three months to complete and process ACOSH before a new spoiler-heavy frenzy begins.
    — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of frenzy
Noun
  • The legendary protests of May, 1968, began as a student revolt against the bureaucracy of the French university system, and brought France to the verge of revolution yet again.
    — Maurice Samuels, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026
  • That might have caused something of a revolt among American NFL fans wanting to drive down the road to their local team's stadium and enjoy America's game – in America.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of revolt
Noun
  • Law enforcement was heavily deployed to contain potential upheaval, but there were no new episodes of looting on Saturday, when about 10,000 protesters gathered in a peaceful demonstration in Milan.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Then, during our planet’s infancy, volcanic upheaval and deep-earth alchemy created more than a thousand new minerals.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of upheaval

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Cite this Entry

“Strong-arming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strong-arming. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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