1
a
: a crowd or crowded condition : throng
b
: a thronging or crowding forward or together
2
4
b
: an aggressive pressuring defense employed in basketball often over the entire court area
5
: the properly smoothed and creased condition of a freshly pressed garment
out of press
6
a
b
: the act or the process of printing
c
: a printing or publishing establishment
7
a
: the gathering and publishing or broadcasting of news : journalism
b
: newspapers, periodicals, and often radio and television news broadcasting
c
: news reporters, publishers, and broadcasters
d
: comment or notice in newspapers and periodicals
is getting a good press
8
: any of various pressure devices (such as one for keeping sporting gear from warping when not in use)
9
: a lift in weight lifting in which the weight is raised to shoulder height and then smoothly extended overhead without assist from the legs compare clean and jerk, snatch
pressed; pressing; presses
1
: to act upon through steady pushing or thrusting force exerted in contact : squeeze
3
a
: to squeeze out the juice or contents of
b
: to squeeze with apparatus or instruments to a desired density, smoothness, or shape
press [=iron] a shirt
… the drained curds are generally pressed together into solid blocks of cheese.—
Caroline Campion
Caroline Campion5
: to move by means of pressure
6
a
: to lay stress or emphasis on
b
: to insist on or request urgently
7
: to follow through (a course of action)
8
: to clasp in affection or courtesy
9
: to make (a phonograph record) from a matrix (see matrix sense 2d)
also
: to make (another kind of disk, such as a CD) by a similar process
pressed; pressing; presses
1
: to force into service especially in an army or navy : impress
2
a
: to take by authority especially for public use : commandeer
b
: to take and force into any usually emergency service
: to impress men as soldiers or sailors
1
: impressment into service especially in a navy
2
obsolete
: a warrant for impressing recruits
Synonyms
Examples of press in a Sentence
Noun (1)
put the towels in the linen press
he pushed his way through the press of people outside the courthouse
originally designed as a press for clothes, it now serves to hide the bedroom TV
Verb (1)
an old doorbell that requires you to press the button hard
my family will only drink juice from freshly pressed oranges
everyone pressed around me to see the pictures
we continued to press deeper and deeper into the tangled rain forest
a manager pressed by a business crisis to return from his vacation ahead of schedule
pressed us to go with them to the school board meeting
an office e-mail that presses the need for greater vigilance concerning building security
Verb (2)
the fleeing bank robber pressed a nearby taxi into service as a getaway car
Recent Examples on the Web
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
The Madison Square Garden rally was a classic mobilization effort, reminding Trump voters once again that Trump is on their side and no one else’s, at the cost of 48 hours of negative press.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 2 Nov. 2024
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2024
November 11: Presidential transition briefings must begin If there is no clear winner projected by Nov. 11, federal agencies are required to begin briefing both the Harris and Trump campaign teams separately on each agency’s most pressing work and the key roles that need to be filled.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for press 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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about these examples.
Noun
Gerda mentioned a 2013 Orange County grand jury report that said the lack of a vibrant press in O.C. was essentially an invitation for civic corruption, which has sadly proved true.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
The Madison Square Garden rally was a classic mobilization effort, reminding Trump voters once again that Trump is on their side and no one else’s, at the cost of 48 hours of negative press.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
Washington is pressing Beijing to intervene and curb North Korea’s cooperation with Russia, but Xi has not shown much interest in leveraging his influence to rein in his autocratic friends.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2024
November 11: Presidential transition briefings must begin If there is no clear winner projected by Nov. 11, federal agencies are required to begin briefing both the Harris and Trump campaign teams separately on each agency’s most pressing work and the key roles that need to be filled.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for press
Dictionary Entries Near press
Cite this Entry
“Press.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/press. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
press
1 of 3 noun2
: a machine or device that uses pressure to shape, flatten, squeeze, or stamp
a cookie press
a cider press
4
a
: an act of pressing : pressure
b
: an aggressive defense in basketball
5
: the smoothed and creased condition of a freshly pressed garment
6
a
b
: a printing or publishing business
7
a
: the gathering and publishing or broadcasting of news
b
: the newspapers and magazines of a country
c
: news reporters and broadcasters
press
2 of 3 verb1
: to bear down upon : push steadily against
2
: to squeeze so as to force out the juice or contents of
press apples to make cider
3
: to flatten out or smooth by bearing down upon (as with an iron)
press clothes
4
5
a
: to insist on
didn't press the issue
b
: to make a demand
pressing for higher wages
6
a
: to crowd closely
reporters pressed around the celebrity
b
: to force or push one's way
pressed deeper into the jungle
presser
noun
press
3 of 3 verb
: to force into emergency service
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