as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
a promise obtained by coercion is never binding
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of coercion
In California, the Bane Act allows lawsuits against those who use threats, coercion or intimidation to violate a person’s constitutional rights.
—
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2026
Forced labor is generally considered work performed under conditions of threat or coercion.
—CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
In that speech, Carney condemned economic coercion by great powers against smaller countries, and received widespread praise.
—Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
View from emerging economies Vietnam is the standout performer in the new global economy, nimble enough to navigate a fractured global order, strong enough to resist superpower coercion, and open enough to capture the immense opportunities from growing South-to-South trade flows.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coercion
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2026
Forced labor is generally considered work performed under conditions of threat or coercion.
—CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
In that speech, Carney condemned economic coercion by great powers against smaller countries, and received widespread praise.
—Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
View from emerging economies Vietnam is the standout performer in the new global economy, nimble enough to navigate a fractured global order, strong enough to resist superpower coercion, and open enough to capture the immense opportunities from growing South-to-South trade flows.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coercion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coercion
Noun
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But within Seattle’s defense — a unit built on balance, depth and consistent pressure — his role still mattered.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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In a sign of the pressure for Republicans to take advantage of the opportunity, multiple hopefuls running for governor in GOP primaries called for immediate redraws.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Some airlines and independent lounges sell day passes, but availability is often limited due to capacity constraints.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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Law said the bill is lacking an education and outreach provision due largely to budget constraints.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Writing, on the other hand, is my lifeline—a compulsion, a joy, and sometimes agony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
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Family photo For Strausman, like so many artists of all skill levels, creating became a compulsion of the spirit.—
Steve Hartman,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Samuel is too comfortable with his father’s assault rifle, pantomiming intimidation into the mirror like a 13-year-old Travis Bickle.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
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Jonathan Harms, 43, and Jolene Harms, 39, faced a long list of criminal charges related to stalking, witness intimidation and threats, court records show.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Wilson wrote and spoke often about how the Black family was ripped apart by chattel slavery and how that foundational act of societal violence cascaded and compounded throughout Black life in 20th century America.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
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As crises have accumulated in the decade since, the hoodie’s tight connection to anti-Black violence seems to have loosened.—
Dawn Chan,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coercion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coercion. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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