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
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Recent Examples of force
Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
San Jose councilmembers also approved a policy to force ICE agents to unmask during enforcement operations.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Pete Sampson, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Bugonia marks the fourth collaboration between Stone and Lanthimos, who have previously joined forces for 2018’s The Favourite, 2023’s Poor Things, and 2024’s Kinds of Kindness.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for force
Verb
Thieves scaled the facade of the Parisian museum in broad daylight Sunday, using a ladder boosted by a mechanical boom truck and forcing a window open, smashing display cases inside, and making off with a handful of priceless jewels, PEOPLE previously reported.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
San Jose councilmembers also approved a policy to force ICE agents to unmask during enforcement operations.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
Because clearly there were forces at work on Saturday night well above the head coach’s pay grade.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Bugonia marks the fourth collaboration between Stone and Lanthimos, who have previously joined forces for 2018’s The Favourite, 2023’s Poor Things, and 2024’s Kinds of Kindness.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for force
Recent Examples of Synonyms for force
Verb
-
Rivera, who left Mexico at 18, is one of a growing number of people compelled to self-deport out of fear of arrest and detention.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Her lawyers say that the gravity of the allegations against her have compelled her to seek asylum.—
Aida Alami,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In summer 2024, another complaint focused on the classified documents case, accusing the FBI of violating his privacy with the Mar-a-Lago raid and the DOJ of malicious prosecution.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The Kelly administration has refused to comply, contending that doing so would be a privacy breach that violates state and federal law because the USDA has indicated the data could be shared with outside groups.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Reuters But the group will have little trouble reconstituting its manpower, Eiland said, and security officials believe Hamas has been recruiting new fighters throughout the war even under fire.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Given the crises of manpower, resources and morale looming over Ukraine in May, this is startling, and potentially flips the dynamics of the months ahead.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As Monaco ramped up the second-half pressure, with Spurs seemingly having no answer for the pace and fervour with which the Ligue 1 side attacked Frank’s defence from all angles, Netherlands international Teze looked set to break the deadlock.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Some of Microsoft’s AI competitors are facing intense pressure to keep young users safe on their platforms.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Zebra mussels can completely clog water intake structures and affect public water supplies, power generation and many other industries.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The Dallas Cowboys climbed up most NFL power rankings lists following their 44-22 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Theetge will be on leave pending an internal investigation on the effectiveness of her leadership, according to a release from the city manager.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Tester notes highlight the blanket’s ease of use and effectiveness.—
Brigitt Earley,
Glamour,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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During his postgame news conference, Napier had a thankful message for the crowd, thanking them for making a positive impact on his players on the field.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
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Given that the mobile phone is the typical livestreaming device, that also had an impact on the film and its format.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Yet the king hides this violence from his three sons.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Yes, there’s violence, but that comes from poverty, lack of resources, and generations of neglect.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Force.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/force. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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