forced 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfȯrst How to pronounce forced (audio)
Definition of forcednext
1
as in required
forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law forced payment of membership dues

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strained
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality wasn't thrilled with the suggestion and so responded with a forced smile

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unwilling
not made or done willingly or by choice participation in the program was forced

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

forced

2 of 2

verb

past tense of force
1
as in compelled
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violated
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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of forced
Adjective
Avoid Bundles That Feel Forced Consumers ignore bundles that feel forced. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 The references to the Cure, New Wave, and Eighties bands never feel forced or overdone or too stuck in the past. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2026
Verb
Mexico’s central block, led by Erik Lira and Luis Romo, will punish England if Rice and Anderson are forced to progress the ball alone. — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 4 July 2026 Or that Franciscan fathers — members of an order dedicated to lives of poverty and humility — forced tribes to give up their foods, customs and religion in the name of Christ, rewarding them with serfdom. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for forced
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forced
  1. required
  2. strained
  3. unwilling
  4. compelled
  5. violated
  6. compulsory
  7. mock
  8. coerced
Adjective
  • The required Biblical passages and stories impact elementary, middle and high school levels and will take effect in the 2030-2031 school year.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
  • Failure to respond within the required timeframe may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner, in Sponsor’s sole discretion.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of required
Adjective
  • Trout, who missed 17 games due to a strained right hamstring, hit a 438-foot shot that gave the Angels an 11-0 lead in the eighth.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • After years of strained public services, supply and food shortages and poverty, nearly 8 million people were already in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquakes hit.
    — Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 6 July 2026
Definition of strained
Adjective
  • The cops posted outside of the nearby Swarovski and PINK stores are similarly unwilling to entertain my interrogations.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 4 July 2026
  • Going-to-the-Sun Road, which connects the eastern and western halves of the park, makes the area accessible for those unwilling or unable to explore the backcountry on foot.
    — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Definition of unwilling
Verb
  • When Sedalia businessman Jorge Guevara saw on social media Tuesday that the Royals’ 50-50 charity raffle was going toward the American Red Cross’ earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela, he instantly was compelled to enter online.
    — Vahe Gregorian July 2, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
  • The sidewalk in front of my house had some lips and dips that could’ve compelled me to rent heavy equipment and get to work.
    — Wes Marshall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of compelled
Verb
  • The case claims Disney violated federal antitrust law and various state antitrust and consumer protection laws.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
  • The nonprofit, which alleged the county violated the Surplus Lands Act by not first exploring affordable-housing development at the site, still has not dismissed its lawsuit.
    — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
Definition of violated
Adjective
  • Volkswagen agreed a deal with unions in late 2024 to avoid factory closures in Germany and rule out compulsory redundancies until the end of 2030.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 2 July 2026
  • Zverev had given his window for that day and so was put out by being told that the test, outside of that window, was compulsory.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 24 June 2026
Definition of compulsory
Adjective
  • Those included a charmingly cluttered Bucket family home, a lush candyland with the smell of chocolate piped through the Royal Theater to complement the full-size mock chocolate river, and a glass elevator that flew above the audience.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Grindlinger is a two-way standout from Southern California who Baseball America had going to Boston in its latest mock draft.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 5 July 2026
Definition of mock
Verb
  • Enterprises that route requests between multiple models can be coerced into selecting the weakest route.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • The study was later shut down after an internal review confirmed that patients were coerced into participating.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026
Definition of coerced

Browse Nearby Words

force
forced
force-fed
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Cite this Entry

“Forced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forced. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on forced

Nglish: Translation of forced for Spanish Speakers

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