arm-twisting 1 of 2

noun

ˈärm-ˌtwi-stiŋ How to pronounce arm-twisting (audio)
Definition of arm-twistingnext
as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another it took some arm-twisting, but they eventually agreed to make a donation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

arm-twisting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of arm-twist
as in browbeating

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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 arm-twisting
Noun
Call it a figurative arm-twisting. — Eric Stephens, New York Times, 15 May 2026 Other players, however, insist that disarmament must commence first, or else any political process will be subjected to Hamas’s interference, and to arm-twisting by those who can exert influence with their guns and tunnels. — Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025 Ordinarily, any arm-twisting or horse-trading is done behind the scenes, and typically the winning candidate has been able to wrap up the race within days of the November election. — John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arm-twisting
  1. pressure
  2. browbeating
  3. constraint
  4. bullying
  5. compulsion
  6. intimidating
  7. intimidation
  8. hectoring
Noun
  • The Sun quincunxes Pluto, highlighting where careful effort meets control issues, hidden pressure, or shifting priorities.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The project uses horror and darkly comic genre elements to approach the psychological pressures of motherhood, extending Urban’s interest in personal experience as a route into broader social and political terrain.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of pressure
Verb
  • His process of doing so involved disparaging his accusers, browbeating people and institutions that no longer wanted to be associated with him, and refusing to accept a path that precluded a return to being a public figure.
    — Elizabeth Spiers, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Analysts have suggested a vote from Waller in favor of interest rate cuts, aligning with the president’s browbeating demands for lower borrowing costs—could be seen as a bellwether for his candidacy.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Definition of browbeating
Noun
  • At coarser levels, CBS detects and matches SIFT features while using epipolar constraints to estimate horizontal and vertical disparities.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Huang said that if not for these constraints, revenue growth next year would be even greater.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of constraint
Verb
  • Trump has been bullying Canada since the start of his second term.
    — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The source said the TCU staff was aware of mounting tensions, but viewed it as just a part of competitive football in fall camp, not bullying.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of bullying
Noun
  • The comedian has built her career by wringing laughs out of a compulsion to share her own worst thoughts about her body, life, and career through the lens of a glamorous cabaret diva.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The administration is right that trust matters more than compulsion alone.
    — Katrine Wallace, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of compulsion
Verb
  • Purdue Every schedule might look intimidating for Purdue, which has lost 18 straight in Big Ten play.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • For someone searching for a grief community, a grief or trauma support group might seem intimidating.
    — Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of intimidating
Noun
  • Jacobs was initially arrested on five criminal charges, including a felony count of strangulation and suffocation as well as battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct and intimidation of a victim.
    — Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Ann Arbor, where El-Sayed lives, is home to a branch of the Free Palestine movement that has engaged in violent intimidation of Jewish Democrats.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of intimidation
Verb
  • His character is a severe, hectoring figure; his lessons amount to an exhortation to be as mean as possible when money is concerned.
    — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Pratt was just another angry New Yorker hectoring calumnies against all forms of authority.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2026
Definition of hectoring

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Cite this Entry

“Arm-twisting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arm-twisting. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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