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
The trial delved into complexities of relationships and questions of consent and coercion.
—
Kara Scannell, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
Moldova has been shaken by Russian meddling in the form of energy coercion, election interference and disinformation campaigns.
—arkansasonline.com, 4 July 2025
Combs' case proved particularly challenging, wading into the murky gray areas of consent and coercion, celebrity, complex workplace dynamics and the myriad ways that people cope with trauma.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 3 July 2025
The argument was that Combs’s employees, following his orders, facilitated a pattern of coercion and violence that far exceeded typical celebrity shenanigans.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for coercion
Kara Scannell, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
Moldova has been shaken by Russian meddling in the form of energy coercion, election interference and disinformation campaigns.
—arkansasonline.com, 4 July 2025
Combs' case proved particularly challenging, wading into the murky gray areas of consent and coercion, celebrity, complex workplace dynamics and the myriad ways that people cope with trauma.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 3 July 2025
The argument was that Combs’s employees, following his orders, facilitated a pattern of coercion and violence that far exceeded typical celebrity shenanigans.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for coercion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coercion
Noun
-
The vote has coincided with efforts by Beijing to raise its military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan.—
Jan Camenzind Broomby,
NPR,
26 July 2025
-
His game plan was to move forward, pressure Volkanovski and land with power.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
The graphic novel format gave him the freedom to imagine without limitation—unbound by the logistical constraints of filmmaking.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
14 July 2025
-
Davis is a magnetic front man, and the Roadhouse Band is an intoxicatingly raucous live outfit, but the constraints of the setup suited his new material, which is suffused with listlessness and yearning, dark jokes and wordy disquisitions on desire.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
Another way patients differ is in the content of their obsessions and compulsions.—
Christina Caron,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
-
Avoiding certain places or situations to reduce anxiety or prevent triggering obsessions and compulsions is also common.—
Carol Mathews,
The Conversation,
13 May 2025
Noun
-
Once contained to local disputes resolved between communities, the violence has exploded into mass killings fueled by population growth, the climate crisis, and the collapse of traditional peacemaking.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
26 July 2025
-
At least two of the Kenyan officers have been killed and the violence has not abated.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coercion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coercion. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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