as in squeezed
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as in seized
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
the fleeing bank robber pressed a nearby taxi into service as a getaway car
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in shoved
to push steadily against with some force
an old doorbell that requires you to press the button hard
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
as in huddled
to gather into a closely packed group
everyone pressed around me to see the pictures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in compelled
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
a manager pressed by a business crisis to return from his vacation ahead of schedule
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in urged
to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action
pressed us to go with them to the school board meeting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in emphasized
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
an office e-mail that presses the need for greater vigilance concerning building security
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pressed
Matt Fuchs, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
Either way, the damage has been done, and Stuckmann will be hard-pressed to find that kind of unbridled support online again.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2025
But New York will be hard-pressed to make the playoffs with second-year stud WR Malik Nabers out for the season due to a torn ACL.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
The feet remained pressed against her seat for hours.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
The same goes for the highway—in fact, potential customers would be hard-pressed to find better in this department for the price offered.
—Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Position single leaves, either pressed or fresh, in small glass vases, and place them on various surfaces around the house.
—Savanna Bous, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
The oil is cold-pressed, so no heat or chemicals strip away its natural nutrients, which in turn deeply condition and soften strands.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 10 Sep. 2025
Partner would be hard-pressed to find a bid at the five-level, so double covers many hands.
—Deb Harvell, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2025
Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
Dokoupil pressed Homan, saying most Americans, having seen videos of ICE in action, would question Homan's claims.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Adams pressed his gun to Miller’s back and then shot Miller.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Wise pressed the government multiple times during the hearing, asking whether any supporters of Israel’s response in Gaza had been among the roughly 5,000 campus protest cases sent to the Department of Homeland Security for review.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
Webster pulled the officer’s gas mask partway off and pressed his fingers close to his eyes.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
The stakes were made clear from the outset as Maduro, who took copious notes throughout the proceedings and wished a Happy New Year to reporters in court, repeatedly pressed his case that he had been unlawfully abducted.
—Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
That powder, collected in large bags from a funnel that extends through three floors, is then pressed into Wegovy tablets.
—Alice Park, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
When pressed whether military intervention is off the table, Miller instead questioned Denmark’s claim over the Arctic territory.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
But people are hard-pressed to find any time, let alone 30 years, to scratch these interpersonal surfaces, Brackett explains.
—Verb
Cruz also pressed his Democratic colleagues to join a bipartisan request for the DOJ to turn over the evidentiary basis for the subpoenas, arguing transparency was necessary to assess whether the secrecy orders were justified.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for pressed
Adjective
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Mix in a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for heat.—
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Add the scotch and Calvados and some crushed ice, and stir about 10 to 15 seconds, until a small frost begins to show on the outside of the mug.—
Adjective
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China’s military has unveiled a combat drone converted from a Soviet–era fighter jet, a development that could enable massed drone attacks in any future conflict over Taiwan.—
Cite this Entry
“Pressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pressed. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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