1
as in required
forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law
forced payment of membership dues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Recent Examples of forced
Ian King, CNBC, 4 June 2025
The Rebellion’s defense finished with 10 sacks and four forced fumbles.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2025
Dodson ended the season with 109 tackles (36 in eight games with the Dolphins, and 71 in nine games with Seattle) 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2025
Google's market position could be further rocked by the outcome of legal challenges, in particular a pair of antitrust cases brought by the Justice Department, which is seeking the forced sale of parts of the tech giant, including its Chrome browser.
—USA Today, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for forced
Adjective
Saddest of all was the forced sale of WorldPay, a payments processing business, to U.S. private equity firms Bain Capital and Advent International for just $3 billion in August 2010.
—Ian King, CNBC, 4 June 2025
The Rebellion’s defense finished with 10 sacks and four forced fumbles.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2025
Dodson ended the season with 109 tackles (36 in eight games with the Dolphins, and 71 in nine games with Seattle) 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2025
Google's market position could be further rocked by the outcome of legal challenges, in particular a pair of antitrust cases brought by the Justice Department, which is seeking the forced sale of parts of the tech giant, including its Chrome browser.
—USA Today, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for forced
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forced
Adjective
-
Doing so required China, Russia, and Washington’s European allies to sign on to a sanctions regime.—
KORI SCHAKE,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
-
These aren’t participation trophies but achievements that required skill, preparation and genuine contribution.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
The earliest use cases have shown up where human labor is most strained and speed is a competitive edge, support desks, sales pipelines, email inboxes and even the marketing office where agentic marketplaces like Enso offer an entire team’s worth of agentic replacements.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
-
Tehran's densely populated urban centers and strained infrastructure make the city especially vulnerable to continued attacks, heightening fear and instability.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
But this option only applies to those unwilling to return to China, Fan explains, as such affidavits lose force if an immigrant ever re-enters China.—
Ashish Valentine,
NPR,
29 June 2025
-
There, Jeff’s aptitude for all things science became apparent and his siblings became unwilling participants in his experiments.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
29 June 2025
Verb
-
The bipartisan vote for release marks a significant shift, as Republicans in the full House had previously blocked two Democratic resolutions that would have compelled the report's release.—
Gord Magill,
Newsweek,
22 Dec. 2024
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Without China making the first move, Chinese firms will be compelled by genuine market forces rather than often heavy-handed and inefficient state mandates to realize Xi’s vision.—
Wesley Alexander Hill,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the commission, by approving the plans, has violated their fundamental rights.—
Amy Green,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Months later, the Department of Justice concluded that five Texas juvenile detention centers violated children's constitutional and civil rights.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA TODAY,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
In a landmark move aimed at bolstering Denmark's military readiness, the Scandinavian country is extending compulsory enlistment to women for the first time.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
-
Her boyfriend was on an Iranian base doing compulsory military service; unreachable and potentially in danger.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
Undersized at 6-foot-2, but a strong and explosive 215 pounds, Martin’s role in the Gators’ national championship success along with strong workouts for NBA teams placed him in the second round of many mock drafts.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2025
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Most analysts agree that Michael Misa, C, will be the No. 2 overall selection, but from pick No. 3 onward, mock drafts diverge sharply.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
The jury did not find, however, that Carroll was raped.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes,
30 Dec. 2024
-
The woman, who filed her lawsuit under the name Jane Doe, alleged she was raped after she was driven to an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty 24 years ago.—
Charmaine Patterson,
People.com,
27 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Forced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forced. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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