coerce (C1)
verb
Pronunciation: koʊˈɜːrs
Definition
Persuade an unwilling person to do something by using force or threats.
Examples
He was coerced into signing the confession despite his innocence.
The regime used fear to coerce the population into total obedience.
She felt coerced by her manager to work unpaid overtime every weekend.
How to Use coerce
- coerce someone into doing something (prepositional phrase)
- The standard structure for describing the act of forcing a person. — "They tried to coerce the staff into signing the new contract."
- be coerced by someone (prepositional phrase)
- Passive construction used to highlight the victim. — "He was coerced by his superiors to hide the financial losses."
Synonyms of coerce
Words with a similar meaning to coerce:
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