Library / English Dictionary

COERCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

To cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means

Example:

He squeezed her for information

Synonyms:

coerce; force; hale; pressure; squeeze

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "coerce" is one way to...):

compel; obligate; oblige (force somebody to do something)

Cause:

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "coerce"):

turn up the heat; turn up the pressure (apply great or increased pressure)

drive (to compel or force or urge relentlessly or exert coercive pressure on, or motivate strongly)

bludgeon (overcome or coerce as if by using a heavy club)

steamroll; steamroller (bring to a specified state by overwhelming force or pressure)

squeeze for (squeeze someone for money, information, etc.)

dragoon; railroad; sandbag (compel by coercion, threats, or crude means)

terrorise; terrorize (coerce by violence or with threats)

bring oneself (cause to undertake a certain action, usually used in the negative)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE
Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something

Sentence example:

They coerce him to write the letter

Derivation:

coercion (using force to cause something to occur)

coercion (the act of compelling by force of authority)

coercive (serving or intended to coerce)

Credits