press-gang

noun

ˈpres-ˌgaŋ How to pronounce press-gang (audio)
: a group of people who force others into service
especially : a detachment under command of an officer empowered to force people into military or naval service
press-gang transitive verb

Examples of press-gang in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Yorath was press-ganged into service after one of the Cardiff boys failed to turn up and immediately caught the eye. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026 Meanwhile, videos also circulate of men on Russian streets being forcibly press-ganged into the army. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 When Captain Kidd dispatched a press-gang to find new recruits for the Wager, six members of the gang itself deserted. — David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023 My own relationship with Crumb began in the 1990s, when he was press-ganged into moving to these French boondocks by his second wife, the cartoonist Aline Kominsky-Crumb. — David Zane Mairowitz, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

press entry 4

First Known Use

1693, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of press-gang was in 1693

Rhymes for press-gang

See All Rhymes for press-gang

Browse Nearby Words

press gallery
press-gang
press home
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Press-gang.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/press-gang. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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