v. 25B6; verb
he exerted considerable pressure on me : BRING TO BEAR, apply, exercise, employ, use, utilize, deploy.
he had been exerting himself : MAKE AN/EVERY EFFORT, try hard, strive, endeavour, do one's best/utmost, give one's all, push oneself, drive oneself, work hard; informal go all out, pull out all the stops, bend/lean over backwards, do one's damnedest, move heaven and earth, work one's socks off; N. Amer. informal do one's darnedest, bust one's chops; Austral. informal go for the doctor.