coerce

coerce
    v 1: to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical,
         moral or intellectual means :"She forced him to take a job
         in the city"; "He squeezed her for information" [syn:
         {coerce}, {hale}, {squeeze}, {pressure}, {force}]
    

Coerce \Co*erce"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Coerced}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Coercing}.] [L. co["e]rcere; co- + arcere to shut up, to
   press together. See {Ark}.]
   1. To restrain by force, especially by law or authority; to
      repress; to curb. --Burke.
      [1913 Webster]

            Punishments are manifold, that they may coerce this
            profligate sort.                      --Ayliffe.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To compel or constrain to any action; as, to coerce a man
      to vote for a certain candidate.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To compel or enforce; as, to coerce obedience.

   Syn: To {Coerce}, {Compel}.

   Usage: To compel denotes to urge on by force which cannot be
          resisted. The term aplies equally to physical and
          moral force; as, compelled by hunger; compelled
          adverse circumstances; compelled by parental
          affection. Coerce had at first only the negative sense
          of checking or restraining by force; as, to coerce a
          bad man by punishments or a prisoner with fetters. It
          has now gained a positive sense., viz., that of
          driving a person into the performance of some act
          which is required of him by another; as, to coerce a
          man to sign a contract; to coerce obedience. In this
          sense (which is now the prevailing one), coerce
          differs but little from compel, and yet there is a
          distinction between them. Coercion is usually
          acomplished by indirect means, as threats and
          intimidation, physical force being more rarely
          employed in coercing.
          [1913 Webster]
    

61 Moby Thesaurus words for "coerce":
      beat down, beset, blackjack, bludgeon, break, browbeat, bulldoze,
      bully, castrate, clamp down on, compel, concuss, constrain, cow,
      daunt, despotize, domineer, domineer over, dragoon, enslave, grind,
      grind down, henpeck, hijack, intimidate, keep down, keep under,
      lord it over, make, menace, oblige, oppress, overawe, overbear,
      overmaster, override, press heavy on, push, repress, ride over,
      ride roughshod over, shanghai, shotgun, steamroller, strong-arm,
      subjugate, suppress, terrorize, threaten, trample down,
      trample upon, tread down, tread upon, tyrannize, tyrannize over,
      unman, urge, use violence, walk all over, walk over,
      weigh heavy on