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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
For CHROs balancing cost pressure, workforce fatigue and rising expectations from the C-suite, the shift from reaction to anticipation is becoming a leadership imperative. — Marcy Klipfel, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 The Japanese 10-year yield rose 6 basis points on Tuesday to nudge above 3% for the first time since 1996 as investors eye fiscal pressures in the country’s upcoming budget. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 1 Sep. 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
  • Importantly, this outlook not only incorporates the chip supply Broadcom expects to receive, but also physical infrastructure constraints such as land, power, and data center shells.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The product should solve a constraint that customers can quantify.
    — John Gabriel, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 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
  • The strain between city and club began in 2022, when a land deal between two parties for the Angels to purchase the stadium and surrounding property fell through amid a scandal.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Riyadh has been pressing businesses that serve the kingdom from the UAE to move to the kingdom, and strains between the two countries have surfaced in border delays and refused visas.
    — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 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
  • Thom’s uncomfortable intensity carries over to Hamburger Hamlet, where the tension between the couple finally reaches a breaking point.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The tension has continued for months and grown into a major foreign and defense policy challenge for countries in the European Union.
    — Claudia Ciobanu, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pressure

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pressure

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