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
Thailand, for instance, has seen national GDP growth slow to 2%, in part due to pressure from Chinese EVs and consumer goods. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026 Over the six episodes, alliances shift, egos clash, and pressure builds as the group shrinks. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Ireland have all been pressured to draw down supplies, Politico reported. — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Kyiv argued the warehouses held dual-use goods, and that hitting them would impose an immediate cost on ordinary Russians, who would pressure the Kremlin to end the war. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 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
  • Following the killing, Pike was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, her attorneys said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Other potential causes are higher rates of chronic stress, depression and anxiety, as well as autoimmune diseases, which weaken the immune system, Curhan said.
    — Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of stress
Noun
  • Many have been feeling the squeeze as costs for inputs like diesel, fertilizer and seed have soared thanks to refinery constraints and supply disruptions amid the Iran war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In California, municipal utilities face constraints in raising rates under Proposition 218, a ballot initiative passed in 1996 that says fees must reflect the costs of providing service.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of constraint
Verb
  • The companies and economies that endure will be the ones that can balance growth, resilience and sustainability—and change before outside pressure forces them to.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Doe alleged the defendants snorted ketamine off her body and forced her to do the same off theirs.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of force
Noun
  • The hope is that the mRNA vaccine can target emerging strains quicker, according to the CDC.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But there has been strain between the two leaders over the course of the seven-month Iran war.
    — SEUNG MIN KIM, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of strain
Noun
  • Under state law, lack of consent generally must be shown through forcible compulsion or a clear expression of nonconsent.
    — Ilana Turko, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The real question is whether Pennsylvania and cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia want skill games and other gambling opportunities to be widespread and unavoidable for people who struggle with compulsions to gamble.
    — Jonathan Caulkins, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of compulsion
Verb
  • This was a back-door effort to coerce Detroit to phase out the internal combustion engine, as the only realistic way car makers could meet the requirement was to massively expand their EV or hybrid inventories.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • This hasn’t stopped the Administration from trying to coerce states to hand over their voter rolls.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of coerce
Noun
  • The killing of a woman in Okinawa has sparked an outcry across Japan and inflamed long-simmering tensions over the US military presence on the island.
    — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The long sleeves of the blazer included a bevy of thin, frayed feathers that created textural tension.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of tension
Noun
  • But there are several other federal and state statutes barring voter intimidation that could apply.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The framework says support for Israel need not mean endorsing every government decision, and calls on Israel to act against settler intimidation and violence.
    — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pressure

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pressure

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