apply pressure
exert pressure

One individual country should not be able to stop action and in so doing exert pressure on the rest of the Union.

"We cannot believe its words, and the international community should exert more pressure on it."

I believe we must in future exert much more pressure on this issue.

Being closer to the door now, he could exert more pressure.

That would be the only way to exert real pressure and bring about the necessary changes.

We should above all remember who is exerting pressure here.

I shall have the Council exert pressure on him at once.

There has never been any need to exert pressure to get the men to work in the gardens.

Here we go, she thought, and began to exert downward pressure with her left hand.

But the Senator said that by exerting pressure, force might not be needed.