enforced; enforcing; enforces
1
: to give force to : strengthen
2
: to urge with energy
enforce arguments
4
obsolete
: to effect or gain by force
5
: to carry out effectively
enforce laws
Examples of enforce in a Sentence
Police will be enforcing the parking ban.
the duty of the police is to enforce the law
Recent Examples on the Web
The federal agency was tasked with creating and enforcing rules to protect consumers from abusive practices across a range of financial institutions.
—
Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 27 Jan. 2026
Kristi Noem may have to fall on her sword, but a major reset of how ICE operations in Minneapolis are conducted is the best way to get the country back on track in terms of enforcing immigration law.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Ireland was one of two European countries to enforce a moratorium on new data center applications as the power-hungry facilities strained Dublin’s grid, consuming 22% of the small country’s power in 2024.
—April Roach,tasmin Lockwood, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
But to enforce that claim, Duke had to awkwardly sue a student who sought to transfer, which is a matter of enrollment and by itself can’t be legally blocked.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enforce
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Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 27 Jan. 2026
Kristi Noem may have to fall on her sword, but a major reset of how ICE operations in Minneapolis are conducted is the best way to get the country back on track in terms of enforcing immigration law.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Ireland was one of two European countries to enforce a moratorium on new data center applications as the power-hungry facilities strained Dublin’s grid, consuming 22% of the small country’s power in 2024.
—April Roach,tasmin Lockwood, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
But to enforce that claim, Duke had to awkwardly sue a student who sought to transfer, which is a matter of enrollment and by itself can’t be legally blocked.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enforce
Cite this Entry
“Enforce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enforce. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
enforce
verb
en·force
in-ˈfō(ə)rs 
-ˈfȯ(ə)rs
1
: to bring about by force : compel
enforce obedience
2
: to carry out effectively
enforce the law
Legal Definition
enforce
transitive verb
en·force
enforced; enforcing
: to cause to take effect or to be fulfilled
enforcing the divorce decree
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation—U.S. Constitution amend. XIX
U.S. Constitution amend. XIXLove words? Need even more definitions?
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