as in squeezed
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in seized
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
the fleeing bank robber pressed a nearby taxi into service as a getaway car
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in shoved
to push steadily against with some force
an old doorbell that requires you to press the button hard
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
as in huddled
to gather into a closely packed group
everyone pressed around me to see the pictures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in compelled
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
a manager pressed by a business crisis to return from his vacation ahead of schedule
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in urged
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
pressed us to go with them to the school board meeting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in emphasized
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
an office e-mail that presses the need for greater vigilance concerning building security
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 pressed
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 May 2026
Jako Wellness Cafe is the newest addition to Ladera’s dining scene, serving pressed juices, smoothies, and nutrient-rich dishes harvested directly from the resort’s gardens.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2026
Uy Scuti Bøyz [YSL] You’d be hard pressed to find an up-and-coming Atlanta rapper who doesn’t want to pay their respects to Young Thug, but not all of them are signed to his label.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
Extra virgin olive oil is cold-pressed, unlike regular olive oil.
—Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Health, 16 Apr. 2026
One would, in fact, be hard-pressed to discover within the historical records of the republic a Cabinet member more hermetically aligned with his commander in chief’s agenda than Hegseth.
—Kelly Sloan, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
The President will be hard pressed to convince anyone aside from his most ardent supporters that what has happened in the past six weeks constitutes an American success.
—Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2026
Even before the takeover, guests wouldn’t have been hard-pressed to find an Ortiz design while on board.
—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 6 Apr. 2026
Consumers will be hard pressed to find a better minivan in today’s automotive market.
—Marc D Grasso, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
His case drew national attention in December when lawmakers pressed then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a testy congressional hearing about veterans swept up in the crackdown.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Ally Sentnor pressed a Chicago player into a turnover, as Bayley Feist intercepted a pass and redirected the ball toward Michelle Cooper on the right.
—Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
Harold thanked her and pressed an envelope into her hands.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 May 2026
Dozens of those speakers pressed Licata and the board to share a plan or vision for next steps.
—Samuel O’Neal 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2026
Politicians, unions and progressive groups separately have pressed California Atty.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Kroenke defended Adelman when pressed during a news conference about Denver’s decision to retain him for a second season.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi pressed his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the conflict and refrain from resuming hostilities during a meeting in Beijing.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 7 May 2026
Adjective
China has been mostly sitting out the conflict, at least publicly, viewing it as a spasm of violence emanating from a superpower hard-pressed to assert its hegemony over a weaker opponent.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 May 2026
Jako Wellness Cafe is the newest addition to Ladera’s dining scene, serving pressed juices, smoothies, and nutrient-rich dishes harvested directly from the resort’s gardens.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2026
Uy Scuti Bøyz [YSL] You’d be hard pressed to find an up-and-coming Atlanta rapper who doesn’t want to pay their respects to Young Thug, but not all of them are signed to his label.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
Extra virgin olive oil is cold-pressed, unlike regular olive oil.
—Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Health, 16 Apr. 2026
One would, in fact, be hard-pressed to discover within the historical records of the republic a Cabinet member more hermetically aligned with his commander in chief’s agenda than Hegseth.
—Kelly Sloan, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
The President will be hard pressed to convince anyone aside from his most ardent supporters that what has happened in the past six weeks constitutes an American success.
—Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2026
Even before the takeover, guests wouldn’t have been hard-pressed to find an Ortiz design while on board.
—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 6 Apr. 2026
Consumers will be hard pressed to find a better minivan in today’s automotive market.
—Marc D Grasso, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
From the looming white-domed oven emerge the flakiest pies, feteer, built of gauzy layers of dough, pressed with ghee and stretched, then folded one inside another around your choice of filling.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
His case drew national attention in December when lawmakers pressed then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a testy congressional hearing about veterans swept up in the crackdown.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Ally Sentnor pressed a Chicago player into a turnover, as Bayley Feist intercepted a pass and redirected the ball toward Michelle Cooper on the right.
—Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
Harold thanked her and pressed an envelope into her hands.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 May 2026
Dozens of those speakers pressed Licata and the board to share a plan or vision for next steps.
—Samuel O’Neal 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2026
Politicians, unions and progressive groups separately have pressed California Atty.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Kroenke defended Adelman when pressed during a news conference about Denver’s decision to retain him for a second season.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi pressed his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the conflict and refrain from resuming hostilities during a meeting in Beijing.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pressed
Verb
-
He was also ordered to pay nearly $111 million in restitution and forfeit roughly $17 million that the government seized from bank accounts.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
So far this year, 12 guns have been seized by Annapolis Police, according to department data.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The room was narrow and had only one window, and the seminar table was actually four small tables of different heights, which, shoved together, rocked back and forth like shifting tectonic plates.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
-
Minnesota’s Daemon Hunt shoved Gabe Landeskog into goalie Jesper Wallstedt, and Nathan MacKinnon was there to tap the puck across the goal line.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, American families are getting squeezed by high gas prices, unaffordable housing, soaring grocery bills and out-of-touch politicians who are more focused on woke ideology than on real solutions.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Geneva coach Brad Wendell knew that Kastor’s slow start last season squeezed him out of the lineup.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Jocks and mean girls relished in the mainstream, while the freaks and losers huddled over video-game music and alt weirdness.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
-
One still image captured about two dozen flamingos huddled inside a zoo bathroom, the stall doors closed and the floor covered in straw.—
Douglas Hanks
May 6,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The differences between racial attitudes in America and those in Britain both pushed and pulled him out of his home country, but America needed that gift less than Britain did.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool did it by having Jordan Henderson drop from the right side of midfield to cover the space when Alexander-Arnold pushed up from full-back.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Starmer is not compelled to call another general election until 2029, when his term expires.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
7 May 2026
-
Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, felt compelled to respond in remarkable terms.—
Ella Lee,
The Hill,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
So in August 2008, the federal government recalled the bassinets and urged families and caregivers to stop using them.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.—
Kendrick Calfee
May 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
One point public health officials have repeatedly emphasized is that hantavirus normally infects people who come into contact with urine or droppings from infected rats.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
-
The company emphasized that AI is becoming both a weapon and a target.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pressed. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
