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as in influential
having power over the minds or behavior of others a forceful speaker whose words moved the audience to tears

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 forceful The field gained steam when Chris Bright withdrew to endorse Anthony DiLorenzo, a prominent and forceful Portsmouth businessman and noted UNH donor who is seriously considering a run. Kristin Tate, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025 This is the same front office that let Calais Campbell sign a one-year deal that could potentially be worth $6 million with the Arizona Cardinals, letting the forceful defensive lineman, and sensational team leader walk out the door without a fight. Omar Kelly october 3, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025 What’s not okay is the hypocrisy of backing forceful legislation that restricts what people, trans and otherwise, can do with their own bodies. Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 27 Sep. 2025 Subscribe today Individual equities and separate sectors popped Wednesday, but collectively, their moves weren't forceful enough to lift indexes. Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for forceful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forceful
Adjective
  • This week, the dramatic collapse of plans for Barcelona to play a La Liga game against Villarreal in Miami — first reported by The Athletic — added extra spice to the compelling and captivating Clasico.
    Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
    Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Dallas Cowboys and team owner Jerry Jones have been very interested in the idea of getting aggressive ahead of the upcoming NFL trade deadline.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Unlike their alligator cousins, which are known to occasionally attack people, American crocodiles are shyer and less aggressive.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Rockets big man Alperen Şengün was limited to 5-of-18 shooting after a strong season opener in Oklahoma City.
    Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Smith cited a strong support network for transgender students on campus during her appearance.
    Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In comedy, few are as influential — and elusive — as Jim Downey.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 25 Oct. 2025
  • With the Mindstorms line being discontinued, the project also serves as a fitting tribute to one of the most influential educational tools of the past three decades.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The increasing accessibility of convincing deepfakes has alarmed some observers.
    Nikita Ostrovsky, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
  • But Bentonville, Arkansas, makes a convincing case for the crown.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The bounce in financial stocks Friday wasn't all that emphatic; this group has much to prove with the sector barely above its high from late 2024.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025
  • An emphatic 8-4 win has softened the blow a bit — especially with Zach Benson and his four assists back in the lineup — and the Sabres are missing key pieces on defense.
    Sean Gentille, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The saddle is typical of the period and would have been used for both pleasure riding and vigorous pursuits such as fox hunting, Brown said.
    Jennifer Brett, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Separate the parent plant into pieces with three to five vigorous shoots each and a healthy supply of roots.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Clients and partners need the dynamic, authoritative showman in the red shirt.
    Jason BARNARD, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Religion reporter Liam Adams has written extensively about denominations with Nashville ties, wrote authoritative news obituaries after the deaths of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and Room In The Inn founder Father Charlie Strobel and has covered trends involving religion.
    Jennifer Brett, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Forceful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forceful. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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