1
as in to compel
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
the public outcry from the scandal forced the mayor to resign road construction forced them to take an alternate route
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in manpower
a body of persons at work or available for work
the entire force of the shipyard will be needed to get this government order done on time
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
a cruel tyrant who disbanded the parliament and ruled by force
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in power
the ability to exert effort for the accomplishment of a task
got through the college board exams by sheer force of will
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in effectiveness
the capacity to persuade
surely you were influenced by the force of his arguments?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in impact
the quality of an utterance that provokes interest and produces an effect
expressed the full force of her frustration with her son for his reckless behavior
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in violence
the use of brute strength to cause harm to a person or property
the officer threatened to resort to force if the suspect did not surrender
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
8
as in supply
the number of individuals or amount of something available at any given time
the great debate during the Cold War was whether the nation's missile force was adequate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of force
Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Sep. 2025
The Fighting Irish scored touchdowns after their first five possessions and appeared ready to take a 35-13 lead into halftime before safety Adon Shuler forced and recovered a fumble from Raylen Sharpe after a 20-yard catch and run to the Hogs’ 45-yard line.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2025
CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
Aside from games like volleyball and dominoes, Gach says some children stage fake ambushes on one another while pretending to be government forces or rebel fighters.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for force
Verb
The Ryder Cup’s intensity boiled over into something darker, as personal insults, family taunts and body-shaming heckles forced police intervention and raised serious questions about fan behavior.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Sep. 2025
The Fighting Irish scored touchdowns after their first five possessions and appeared ready to take a 35-13 lead into halftime before safety Adon Shuler forced and recovered a fumble from Raylen Sharpe after a 20-yard catch and run to the Hogs’ 45-yard line.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday its forces had struck Ukrainian military-industrial facilities as well as gas and energy infrastructure overnight.
—CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
Aside from games like volleyball and dominoes, Gach says some children stage fake ambushes on one another while pretending to be government forces or rebel fighters.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for force
Recent Examples of Synonyms for force
Verb
-
The rally aimed to compel Starbucks to finalize the collective bargaining contract for improved staffing, shift hours, take-home pay and on-the-job protections for its baristas.—
Stuart Dyos,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
-
And yet, today, a few pieces of evidence are compelling us to reconsider this scenario.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The president of the European Commission highlighted that in just the last two weeks, Russian drones and warplanes have violated the airspace of six European nations, scrambling jets, grounding commercial flights and posing a direct threat to EU citizens.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Lawsuits filed in recent days claim the federal government is overstepping its authority and violating constitutional protections.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In 2025, several nations stand out for combining vast manpower with modern weapons, strong budgets, and the ability to influence events far beyond their borders.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Putin said Ukraine’s armed forces had a grave lack of manpower and desertions, while Russia had enough soldiers.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the Pacific, a trough of low pressure a few hundred miles off the coast of southwestern Mexico has a high chance of forming in the next 48 hours.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The budget pressures departments to have state employees return to their offices instead of working at home as many have done since the 2020 pandemic.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Hanke relates that it was riddled with loopholes that handed the Banco Central de la República Argentina discretionary monetary powers.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
-
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There’s no denying the cost-effectiveness of investing in a high-quality luggage set, so this seasonal sale is the time to score the Coolife Luggage 4-piece Set while bags are only $34 apiece.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Young children have to use spacers, holding chambers that allow the patient to breathe in the medication slowly so more of it reaches the lungs, and a spacer would hinder a dry-powder inhaler’s effectiveness.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The show was marred only by an audio mix that dimmed Coleman’s evocative voice amid a wash of instruments — at least from this reviewer’s spot in the Fox — but the Red Clay Strays’ impact shone through nevertheless.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Tennessean photo journalist Andrew Nelles was recognized with a first place award in environmental photography by the 2025 Green Eyeshade awards for a collection of photos documenting the impacts of Hurricane Helene, which ravaged parts of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina.—
Nashville Tennessean,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Monster has debuted into this very fraught political moment where, despite no evidence showing a link between violence and transness, right-wingers have gone to great pains to paint almost every mass shooter who makes front page news as trans in hopes of stripping trans people of their rights.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Companies can now detect many types of incidents involving violence in a few seconds, although some complex situations, such as self-harm and suicide, remain difficult to address through automation.—
John Wihbey,
Big Think,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Force.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/force. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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