SANDBAGGING Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

sandbagging

verb

present participle of sandbag

as in forcing

to cause (a person) to give in to pressure always manages to sandbag her sister into joining her in these foolish schemes

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 sandbagging While sandbagging and water pumps were initially used to address the high water, the federal agency's letter refers to the logistics involved with getting the shuttered turbines back into operation and pushing more floodwaters away. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026 Since then, Des Plaines has invested in sandbagging machines and other mitigation measures to better protect homes and businesses. — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026 The city of New London, which straddles Waupaca and Outagamie counties, urgently requested volunteers for sandbagging efforts Friday morning. — Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026 The Rest of the Conversation There was more, on hiring Olympians, free food, sandbagging (not telling the truth) and territorial office wars. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026 Floodwaters are expected to peak Saturday night and crews were sandbagging the fire station and the Blue Spruce RV park. — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sandbagging

Verb

Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis descended from their northern stronghold, capturing Sanaa and forcing the government to flee into exile in Saudi Arabia.

— AHMED AL-HAJ, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Aubrey Layne, Sentara’s chief administrative officer, said lower payment rates from government programs — and impending cuts to Medicaid — are forcing the hospital to play hardball with the insurers that are representing employers.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of forcing

Verb

Playing that cat, a work camp warden coercing Hawke’s character into smuggling gold through the wilderness, is none other than Russell Crowe.

— Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of coercing

Verb

The state’s campaign watchdog can seek a court order compelling an influencer to disclose that they were paid, but that can take months.

— Sophie Austin, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
This trend could displace hundreds of thousands of older adults, compelling them to select new Medicare Advantage plans.

— Bruce Japsen, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of compelling

Verb

Your 11th House of Friends lights up as the life-giving Sun energizes that area, squaring obligating Saturn in your 8th House of Intimacy and Shared Resources.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2026
The unions argue that carrying out permanent layoffs during a funding lapse violates the Antideficiency Act, which bars agencies from obligating funds without congressional authorization, and exceeds executive authority under the Administrative Procedure Act.

— Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025

Definition of obligating

Verb

Recipe development can be a self-effacing task, obliging the writer to anticipate the appetites and routines of her imagined reader.

— Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
First is to prevent their further migration by enforcing an international treaty obliging national authorities to treat ballast waters inside incoming ships that may carry such species.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026

Definition of obliging

Verb

In the employer market, more recent data suggest the volumes of prescriptions — which are proprietary — are driving up spending more than prices, although prices are still a factor.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
When the Vikings regained possession Minnesota gobbled up the clock, driving the ball to the 2-yard line before ending the game with the victory formation.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of driving

Verb

Artisan has turned activist on companies before, pressuring Danone’s CEO out and lending its support to Elliott at Southwest Airlines.

— Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Newsom also credits Ezra Klein, the New York Times columnist, for pressuring him during a podcast conversation and in his 2025 book, Abundance, to dig into the environmental laws that block infrastructure and housing.

— Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of pressuring

Browse Nearby Words

sandbagged

sandbagging

sandbags

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sandbagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sandbagging. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of sandbagging

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes