1
as in compelling
having the power to persuade
made a very forceful argument against going to war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aggressive
marked by or uttered with forcefulness
kept asking until I gave a very forceful and blunt "no"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in strong
not showing weakness or uncertainty
took a forceful stand on the highly controversial issue
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4
as in influential
having power over the minds or behavior of others
a forceful speaker whose words moved the audience to tears
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forceful
Other ethnic groups in the delta, having been subject to violence at the hands of the government soldiers and having witnessed the murder of the Ogoni Nine, concluded that peaceful protests did not produce results, and forceful action was the only way to make the government listen.
—
Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
The town quickly passed a forceful resolution opposing the conversion and publicly criticized ICE for failing to inform local officials of the move.
—Eric Westervelt, NPR, 23 Mar. 2026
There’s a maddening human truth tucked into the fact that everyone — from Lebedev’s forceful, hopeful young daughter Sasha (Maya Shoham) to the lout Borkin, whom Labbadia embodies irresistibly as a kind of Bronx-y hustler — is drawn to this man in free fall.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
Spilled hot broth could lead to injuries, while the forceful movements of the robot itself posed a risk of physical harm to nearby customers.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
The town quickly passed a forceful resolution opposing the conversion and publicly criticized ICE for failing to inform local officials of the move.
—Eric Westervelt, NPR, 23 Mar. 2026
There’s a maddening human truth tucked into the fact that everyone — from Lebedev’s forceful, hopeful young daughter Sasha (Maya Shoham) to the lout Borkin, whom Labbadia embodies irresistibly as a kind of Bronx-y hustler — is drawn to this man in free fall.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
Spilled hot broth could lead to injuries, while the forceful movements of the robot itself posed a risk of physical harm to nearby customers.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forceful
Adjective
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
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Many of the most compelling growth companies today are directly enabling — or benefiting from — this transition, and several may emerge as category-defining public companies of the next decade.—
Matt Witheiler,
Fortune,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Brvenik, 44, was diagnosed in 2024 with leiomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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Your sense of self takes the lead as the Moon, presently in your sign, opposes aggressive Mars across your partnership zone.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The legislation has stalled amid strong pushback from critics.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Kodai Senga got the ball for the Mets and turned in a strong performance in his season debut.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As ideological blocs collapsed, political scientist Samuel Huntington’s influential 1996 book Clash of Civilizations articulated a growing anxiety that globalization would harden into cultural antagonism rather than consensus.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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Woods is the most influential figure in golf and has become as recognizable as any athlete in the world.—
R.J. Rico,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Geoff Elliott, who shares the title of producing artistic director at A Noise Within with wife Rodriguez-Elliott, doesn’t so much play Willy Loman as try on various accents, none of them remotely convincing to this native Brooklynite.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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In each of these cases, a tech company outsmarted a human—or several—either by producing text convincing enough to pass the smell test, or by creating and marketing a service that convinced a writer to offload part of their labor.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Hernandez was emphatic that nobody in her family bullied Rabell, who prior to landing at Hernandez’s home had been a client of DCF’s Adult Protective Services program.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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LeVota’s candidacy for county executive directly contradicts one of his most frequent and emphatic campaign promises leading up to his interim tenure.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tell us that just a single engagement of moderate to vigorous physical activity can improve sleep, decrease anxiety and lower blood pressure.—
Helen Dennis,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Dwarf varieties, for example, can fit in a small bowl of water on your patio; larger, more vigorous lilies need a pool that has space for their roots to spread.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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These articles add depth to a brand’s digital footprint and act as authoritative signals when AI tools evaluate credibility.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Michigan soon may have a more authoritative accounting.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forceful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forceful. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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