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press harder

[/prɛs ˈhɑrdər/]
verb phrase
apertar mais
1. to apply greater force or pressure to something
Press harder on the wound to stop the bleeding.
Aperte mais na ferida para parar o sangramento.
2. to intensify efforts or demands in pursuit of a goal
The team needs to press harder if they want to win the championship.
O time precisa apertar mais se quiser ganhar o campeonato.
3. to increase pressure or urgency in a situation
The negotiators decided to press harder for a better deal.
Os negociadores decidiram apertar mais para conseguir um melhor acordo.
Synonyms
push harderincrease pressureintensify effortsapply more forcesqueeze harder
Antonyms
ease uprelax pressurelet goloosen gripreduce force

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
apertar mais
most common usage
Rio de Janeiro
apertar mais / forçar mais
similar to general Brazilian Portuguese
São Paulo
apertar mais / pressionar mais
both terms used interchangeably
Portugal
pressionar mais / apertar mais
pressionar is more common in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

put the squeeze on
turn up the heat
apply more pressure
push the envelope
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