coerce
verb (used with object)
to compel by force, intimidation, or authority, especially without regard for individual desire or volition.
were coercing
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past progressiveof coerce.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her parents were coercing her to work six days a week so her earnings would reach the required threshold to sponsor her foreign spouse to come to the UK.
From The Guardian ● May 28, 2018
“They were coercing the appraiser and saying, ‘If you can’t bring it in at this value, I’m not going to give you my business,’ ” Velez says.
From Seattle Times ● May 25, 2016
Jeanne Smoot, senior counsel for policy and strategy at the Tahirih Justice Center, dismissed those objections, saying that parents oftentimes were coercing their children.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 15, 2016
She blamed the strike on gang leaders who she said were coercing other prisoners to participate in the strike.
From Reuters ● Aug. 31, 2013
He presented General Johnson with a list of corporations which, he charged, were coercing their workers into company unions in violation of the law.
From Time Magazine Archive
