Duress is most often paired with the word under to refer to force or threats meant to make someone do something. For example, someone forced to sign a document signs it “under …

The confession was made under duress. (Definition of duress from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Definition of duress noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

DURESS definition: compulsion by threat or force; coercion; constraint. See examples of duress used in a sentence.

First used to describe harsh or cruel treatment, duress soon took on the additional meaning of forcing someone to do something, usually through threats. Duress is typically used with the …

To do something under duress means to do it because someone forces you to do it or threatens you.

Constraint or difficulty caused by misfortune: "children who needed only temporary care because their parents were ill, out of work, or under some other form of duress" (Stephan O'Connor).