as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
a promise obtained by coercion is never binding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 coercion
Psychological models on social coercion and performative activism confirm that when authority figures set the terms of discourse, students often comply out of obligation rather than belief.
—
Kevin Waldman, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2025
There is an inconvenient truth at the heart of Washington's tariff strategy: unilateral economic coercion is losing its edge.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
What went cruelly overlooked was the larger effect of such coercion: lasting trauma for Schneider, whose outspokenness over the years about her experience typically went unnoticed.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
The latest findings add to a growing list of evidence of deeply rooted, widespread malpractice and coercion in what the commission called a mass exportation of children to meet foreign demand.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coercion
Kevin Waldman, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2025
There is an inconvenient truth at the heart of Washington's tariff strategy: unilateral economic coercion is losing its edge.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
What went cruelly overlooked was the larger effect of such coercion: lasting trauma for Schneider, whose outspokenness over the years about her experience typically went unnoticed.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
The latest findings add to a growing list of evidence of deeply rooted, widespread malpractice and coercion in what the commission called a mass exportation of children to meet foreign demand.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coercion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coercion
Noun
-
After wriggling away from pressure, Watkins’ strike deflected off Schar and past Nick Pope in goal.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
-
The Fed's most potent weapon against inflation is to ratchet up or maintain higher interest rates, because an increase in borrowing costs slows economic demand, which eases inflationary pressures.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Newcastle just don’t have the same depth quality-wise, which is largely down to the PSR (the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules) constraints of the past 18 months.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
-
That pivot involved epistemic uncertainty—consumer behavior, bandwidth constraints, and content rights.—
Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Every Wednesday, women in Iran would film videos of themselves walking unveiled, a peaceful protest against compulsion.—
Katrina Kaufman,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Creating collages is almost a compulsion, a way for Jarmusch to escape from the world and nestle into self-reflection.—
Renée Reizman,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Abby’s friends are nervous, even disgusted at this point, horrified at her capacity for violence.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
More than 1,700 people have been killed this year— 1,086 in February and March, according to the U.N. — in violence fueled by criminal groups trying to expand their territorial control and overthrow the government.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coercion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coercion. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share