under pressure
idiom
1
: tightly pressed into a container
The contents of the bottle are under pressure.
2
: in a state of stress or anxiety because of having too much to do
They both work well under pressure.
3
: being made to feel forced to do something (as by arguments, threats, etc.)
The mayor is under pressure to resign.
Examples of under pressure in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Juric, whose last spell in Serie A was the disastrous two-month stint in charge of Roma, will be under pressure to build on the foundation laid by Gasperini.
—
Emmet Gates, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
The Fresno Bee’s editorial page quickly excoriated him for seemingly abandoning that pledge under pressure from Trump.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 9 July 2025
Neither of these steps will be easy: Hezbollah is under pressure from Lebanese officials and continues to suffer Israeli bombardment, and the new Syrian government, which is consolidating control over its territory, is hostile to Iran and has begun moving closer to Israel.
—Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2025
TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance is under pressure to spin off the short-video app’s US operations by September 17 or face a ban in the United States.
—Marc Stewart, CNN Money, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for under pressure
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Emmet Gates, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
The Fresno Bee’s editorial page quickly excoriated him for seemingly abandoning that pledge under pressure from Trump.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 9 July 2025
Neither of these steps will be easy: Hezbollah is under pressure from Lebanese officials and continues to suffer Israeli bombardment, and the new Syrian government, which is consolidating control over its territory, is hostile to Iran and has begun moving closer to Israel.
—Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2025
TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance is under pressure to spin off the short-video app’s US operations by September 17 or face a ban in the United States.
—Marc Stewart, CNN Money, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for under pressure
Cite this Entry
“Under pressure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/under%20pressure. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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