1
as in compelling
having the power to persuade
made a very forceful argument against going to war
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aggressive
marked by or uttered with forcefulness
kept asking until I gave a very forceful and blunt "no"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in strong
not showing weakness or uncertainty
took a forceful stand on the highly controversial issue
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4
as in influential
having power over the minds or behavior of others
a forceful speaker whose words moved the audience to tears
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forceful
This is why all your communications with others will be energetic and a bit forceful.
—
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 26 June 2025
He was sworn as U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District in early April, where he’s continued to bedevil state leaders by assisting with the Trump administration’s forceful immigration agenda and targeting state laws allowing transgender girls to compete in girls’ sports.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2025
And what made Kennedy’s accusations all the more forceful was that he must be considered to be speaking in the name of his boss, President Donald Trump.
—Martin Schram, Twin Cities, 25 June 2025
Mamdani, a socialist Assembly member from Queens, has centered his mayoral run on affordability, leading a forceful campaign effort both on social media and through thousands of volunteers.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 26 June 2025
He was sworn as U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District in early April, where he’s continued to bedevil state leaders by assisting with the Trump administration’s forceful immigration agenda and targeting state laws allowing transgender girls to compete in girls’ sports.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2025
And what made Kennedy’s accusations all the more forceful was that he must be considered to be speaking in the name of his boss, President Donald Trump.
—Martin Schram, Twin Cities, 25 June 2025
Mamdani, a socialist Assembly member from Queens, has centered his mayoral run on affordability, leading a forceful campaign effort both on social media and through thousands of volunteers.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forceful
Adjective
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In a category full of compelling options, this is arguably the most compelling choice.—
Karl Brauer,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Unfortunately, some of the humans aren’t as compelling, even if their main purpose is to be a potential entrée for our beastly stars.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Maritz has been aggressive in challenges and positive with pushing forward into attack.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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With that in mind, it's expected the Dodgers will be very aggressive at the trade deadline.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
This results in a charge imbalance that builds up an electric field strong enough to trigger flashes of lightning.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
13 Jan. 2023
-
According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, strong gun control laws are correlated with fewer gun deaths.—
Elliot Hughes,
Journal Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
As the platform nears its 15th anniversary, Instagram is launching a bold new campaign called ANYWAY—a global creative movement co-created with some of today’s most influential artists, including Tyler,The Creator, Rosalía, Fred Again.., Cole Bennett, Clint 419, Nadia Lee Cohen, and Slawn.—
Bryanna Symone,
Essence,
10 July 2025
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Keen, one of the most influential artists in Texas history, has a ranch outside Kerrville.—
Josh Crutchmer,
Rolling Stone,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Hallucinations, when models generate convincing but false information, can mislead decision-making and create legal exposure.—
Shane Buckley,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
Why the latest PayPal phishing scam is so convincing Most phishing scams try (and fail) to impersonate big companies.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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But Keegan Bradley's dramatic win at the Travelers Championship earned him a rare and emphatic nod.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
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Four years ago, when The Athletic asked this precise question of Chelsea fans on X, the answer was emphatic, with Tottenham Hotspur garnering 58.6 per cent of the vote.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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This vine, while beautiful, is a vigorous grower that spreads by self-seeding, layering, and runners.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
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No better example of this can be found than in the absence of debate in the contemporary U.S. about the treatment of the Palestinians by the Israelis, whatever outcome such vigorous discussion might produce.—
James L. Gibson,
The Conversation,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Whereas serif fonts feel authoritative and timeless, sans serif fonts can feel modern or informal.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Ralphs’ tasteful, authoritative and often-underrated guitar work and songwriting acumen were a trademark of both bands across the 1970s.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forceful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forceful. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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