1
as in compels
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
2
as in violates
to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent
was accused of forcing a woman
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in workforces
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 pressures
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 police
a body of officers of the law
the police detective retired after 23 years on the force
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in supplies
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
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Recent Examples of forces
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
This constraint forces strict prioritization.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Apr. 2026
The sustained lack of access for families forces them to either leave the workforce or rely on unregulated child care, which then strains employers and local economies, said Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of Children at Risk.
—Lina Ruiz
april 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026
The framing event of the season is a cyberattack that forces the team to go offline and use analog systems to route patients and document their care.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Apr. 2026
Your next book will be about how the reality of climate change forces us into a stance of irony toward recent art and literature.
—Aaron Matz, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Christopher McVey was sent off late against Real Salt Lake after a second yellow card, which rules him out for Saturday and forces a lineup shuffle.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Freshman Hannah Wells get the start for Texas and forces three quick groundouts.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 3 Apr. 2026
At the end of the second season, Damian’s father Lord Morsus forces Billie to open a rift to the world of dark magic as part of a prophecy.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
Other sources for asteroid activity include breakup when an asteroid spins too fast, tidal forces ripping apart asteroids during close encounters with a planet, or gas release.
—Patrick M. Shober, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Yet Tillman, like many other conservatives, attributes decades of frustration to shadowy forces.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
After all, companies shuttered their windows, business went online, and recessionary forces put most hiring on ice.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
In recent years, trust in health care and public health institutions has eroded for many reasons, from experiences within the health care system to broader social and political forces.
—Monica L. Wang, STAT, 10 Apr. 2026
On April 13, go-getter Mars will join forces with numinous Neptune, triggering one of the most surreal yet energetically loaded transits of the moment.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
At least one crew member of the two-seater F-15 jet was able to eject after the craft was shot down by Iranian forces, according to multiple news reports.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
Policing strategies and community outreach programs could have a limited impact compared to the broader national forces driving crime down, Jelveh said.
—Stella Canino-Quinones, Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
But what begins as a local emergency soon spirals into a deeper, more terrifying mystery, one that forces the town’s residents to confront the unknown.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
This constraint forces strict prioritization.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Apr. 2026
The sustained lack of access for families forces them to either leave the workforce or rely on unregulated child care, which then strains employers and local economies, said Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of Children at Risk.
—Lina Ruiz
april 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026
The framing event of the season is a cyberattack that forces the team to go offline and use analog systems to route patients and document their care.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Apr. 2026
Your next book will be about how the reality of climate change forces us into a stance of irony toward recent art and literature.
—Aaron Matz, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Christopher McVey was sent off late against Real Salt Lake after a second yellow card, which rules him out for Saturday and forces a lineup shuffle.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Freshman Hannah Wells get the start for Texas and forces three quick groundouts.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 3 Apr. 2026
At the end of the second season, Damian’s father Lord Morsus forces Billie to open a rift to the world of dark magic as part of a prophecy.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
The normally bustling streets of Islamabad were deserted Saturday morning as security forces sealed roads ahead of the talks.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
Other sources for asteroid activity include breakup when an asteroid spins too fast, tidal forces ripping apart asteroids during close encounters with a planet, or gas release.
—Patrick M. Shober, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Yet Tillman, like many other conservatives, attributes decades of frustration to shadowy forces.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
After all, companies shuttered their windows, business went online, and recessionary forces put most hiring on ice.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
In recent years, trust in health care and public health institutions has eroded for many reasons, from experiences within the health care system to broader social and political forces.
—Monica L. Wang, STAT, 10 Apr. 2026
On April 13, go-getter Mars will join forces with numinous Neptune, triggering one of the most surreal yet energetically loaded transits of the moment.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
At least one crew member of the two-seater F-15 jet was able to eject after the craft was shot down by Iranian forces, according to multiple news reports.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
Policing strategies and community outreach programs could have a limited impact compared to the broader national forces driving crime down, Jelveh said.
—Stella Canino-Quinones, Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forces
Verb
-
Shameful pride compels me to say there are only about 300 players in the Hall of Fame.—
Ron Mix,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
But the implicit argument, that Colorado law effectively compels Jeffco to violate Title IX, is a major, predictable indictment of our legislature.—
Lisa Frizell,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Alderson, president of the school’s Young Democrats club, said the governor’s endorsement violates the requirement that governments not favor a particular religion.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Two federal lawsuits have been filed in Florida challenging the requirement, arguing that requiring documentary proof of citizenship and marking that status on identification violates constitutional protections under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Other major tech companies have slashed their workforces, including Snap rival Meta Platforms Inc.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Companies are simultaneously demanding more adaptability from their workforces and making those workforces smaller.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But critics argue lawmakers merely shifted money around while leaving deeper tax, spending and cost-of-living pressures for the next administration, raising a bigger accountability question for voters this fall.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Apr. 2026
-
If reimposed, the levies could further compound inflationary pressures in the world’s largest economy at a time when the war in Iran is pushing up prices, especially in the energy sector.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Federal police have recommended that charges be brought against Ramagem and around 30 others, including the former president's son Carlos Bolsonaro, in connection with this probe.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Earlier, media reports said all students were evacuated and police special operations units were deployed after the assailant refused to surrender.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These deals are only available while supplies last, so be sure to shop now.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Gas consumption fell 20% across the continent since then, and now forms only 19% of European energy supplies.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
However, the rotation of this filament clearly dominates how the galaxies within it spin, perhaps by funneling hydrogen gas along the dark-matter filament and onto the galaxies in a way that coerces their spin while providing further fuel for star formation.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
4 Dec. 2025
-
Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, Ali, a university professor, coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Through these photos, Dominique Pelicot is not ‘just’ casting an incestuous gaze on me, as was said during the investigation and the Mazan rapes trial.—
TIME,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
-
And when her brother-in-law, Stanley (Marlon Brando), rapes her, her descent into madness was made all the more vivid and believable by Leigh's precise depiction of vulnerability and instability.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forces. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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