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
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Recent Examples of force
Dana Santas, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
Months' worth of rainfall fell within just a few hours, overwhelming riverfront communities and forcing emergency teams to evacuate children's summer camps threatened by rising water.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
When a harrowing incident forces Wash to flee, he is thrust into a globe-spanning adventure that challenges and reshapes his understanding of family, freedom, and love.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for force
Verb
This upper-chest pattern bypasses your diaphragm, forcing muscles in your neck and shoulders to take over the work of pulling in each breath.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
Months' worth of rainfall fell within just a few hours, overwhelming riverfront communities and forcing emergency teams to evacuate children's summer camps threatened by rising water.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
Noun
Pair this with their loaded offense and some other trade deadline acquisitions, and the Mets could be a force in the postseason.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
When a harrowing incident forces Wash to flee, he is thrust into a globe-spanning adventure that challenges and reshapes his understanding of family, freedom, and love.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for force
Recent Examples of Synonyms for force
Verb
-
However, the Supreme Court ruled that lawsuits to compel states to enforce Medicaid law—a federal statute—aren’t valid.—
Essence,
Essence,
27 June 2025
-
Female clients of mine have also reported feeling compelled to embrace more traditionally feminine roles.—
Jerry Colonna,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Its Senate passage could come as soon as Monday after days of delay due to the parliamentarian, a nonpartisan Senate rules referee, determining that dozens of provisions violated the Byrd Rule.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
29 June 2025
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The family of 17-year-old Victor Perez, an autistic teenager who was shot nine times by police officers in Idaho earlier this year, is suing the Pocatello Police Department (PPD) over claims that officers violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
Noun
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The sweltering conditions were perhaps an incidental metaphor for the pressure the industry is feeling as the global luxury industry experiences a troubling slowdown.—
Alice Pfeiffer,
CNN Money,
1 July 2025
-
Atlanta has clearly brought in personnel designed to push the pace on offense and applies intense perimeter pressure on defense.—
Kambui Bomani,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
There's more than enough power in the iPhone Pro and Pro Max models to allow macOS to run smoothly on the hardware.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
-
Big Brother went from America voting out the houseguests to the housemates voting out their own with weekly competitions to have ultimate power as Head of Household.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
5 July 2025
Noun
-
Ironically, the impact will hit especially hard in Republican areas–a fact that Forbes (and others) thought last November might protect the industry from such savage cuts.—
Christopher Helman,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
This could be a $6 million per season deal that doesn't pan out to being an impact addition.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
Noun
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Police believe the extreme violence in the murder mirrors methods used by trafficking groups to punish their victims.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
People.com,
30 June 2025
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Critics argue that the phrase may incite antisemitic violence; Mamdani has countered that such interpretations are misguided.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
30 June 2025
Noun
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The investigation involved several search warrants and assistance from multiple other police agencies, including those in New York and New Jersey, and special agents with the National Insurance Crime Bureau.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
25 June 2025
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Manchester police alleged that Belfield hatched the plan to attack Campbell and led Reece Steven, Steven Cleworth, and Campbell’s ex-wife Coleen Campbell in carrying out the attack.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Closing the Strait of Hormuz One option that would have massive global consequences would be to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which more than 20 percent of the world’s oil supplies pass daily.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
24 June 2025
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While the nation’s food supply faces all sorts of threats, from diseases to tariffs to climate change, we are now faced with what can happen when the food supply is attacked by hackers, and not by directly targeting stores’ systems.—
Louis Biscotti,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Force.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/force. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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