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
Juneteenth recognizes the end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, which President Abraham Lincoln had signed more than two years earlier.
—
Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2025
After dissolving their own three-person police force, the village has struggled to find a way to enforce village laws, the mayor said.
—Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Oct. 2025
The city lobbied for a 2024 state law change, allowing municipalities to enforce state certification for recovery homes.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Oct. 2025
The layoffs included a Health and Human Services division centered on family and community initiatives, a Housing and Urban Development office that enforces fair housing standards, and an Education Department team devoted to boosting K–12 academic performance, multiple staffers said.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enforce
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Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2025
After dissolving their own three-person police force, the village has struggled to find a way to enforce village laws, the mayor said.
—Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Oct. 2025
The city lobbied for a 2024 state law change, allowing municipalities to enforce state certification for recovery homes.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Oct. 2025
The layoffs included a Health and Human Services division centered on family and community initiatives, a Housing and Urban Development office that enforces fair housing standards, and an Education Department team devoted to boosting K–12 academic performance, multiple staffers said.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enforce
Cite this Entry
“Enforce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enforce. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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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