pressure 1 of 2

noun

ˈpre-shər How to pronounce pressure (audio)
Definition of pressurenext
1
as in stress
the burden on one's emotional or mental well-being created by demands on one's time a business executive who works well under pressure

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2
as in constraint
the use of power to impose one's will on another pressure from their peers can often cause teens to do things that they normally wouldn't consider

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pressure

2 of 2

verb

as in to force
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure his father pressured him to go out for the swim team

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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 pressure
Noun
Canada’s industrial minister said reprisals were intended to apply economic pressure in US states ahead of November’s midterm elections. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Even though Brian Flores’ defensive system pulls levers to stop the run with its scheme, the pressure falls on these big men to hold up at the point of attack. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
The idea is to pressure Iran's hardline leadership enough that they are forced to come back to the negotiating table and/or cease aggression around the Strait of Hormuz. — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 Three North Miami city council members violated the city charter by asking third parties to pressure the city manager to intervene in the public works director’s termination, a judge ruled Wednesday. — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pressure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pressure
  1. stress
  2. constraint
  3. force
  4. strain
  5. compulsion
  6. coerce
  7. tension
  8. intimidation
Noun
  • Salas struggled offensively throughout 2024, missed almost all of 2025 because of a stress reaction in his back and plummeted on prospect lists as a result.
    — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The company, which offers credit cards used to make rent and mortgage payments, had fumbled a critical transition, leading to confusion and financial stress for its customers.
    — Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of stress
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
  • As more cars wrecked behind the incident, NASCAR was forced to throw the caution flag — freezing the field with Preece in front.
    — Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Sometimes, operators were forced to drain one pond and divert its water to save fish in another, the Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Inter-branch Organization said in early August.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of force
Noun
  • Long before this year’s Iran war saw its home front and world-class air defenses put under unprecedented assault and strain, the United Arab Emirates endured its first drone and missile attacks from the Houthis in Yemen in January 2022.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In April, a right calf strain cost Soto just under three weeks of action.
    — Will Sammon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of strain
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
  • But in the past, these efforts were largely aimed at threatening or coercing Washington to act in their favor.
    — Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026
  • That user is suing multiple sportsbooks, including FanDuel, for leveraging VIP perks to coerce further betting.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of coerce
Noun
  • This week, Shin stated that despite easing US-Iran tensions, inflation in South Korea is expected to remain elevated for a prolonged period.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The two deaths linked to measles that Pennsylvania health officials announced this week set off a flurry of political sparring, misinformation and confusion that only added to the tension over the country’s highest measles burden in 35 years.
    — Jason Kane, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of tension
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

Phrases Containing pressure

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pressmen
pressure
pressure-cook
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on pressure

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pressure

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