1
as in compelling
having the power to persuade
made a very forceful argument against going to war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
The negative reactions of Democrats were more forceful, while Republicans, though largely positive, expressed a more muted enthusiasm.
—
Christine Zhang, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
This enables the humanoid to perform both delicate and forceful tasks with exceptional precision, stability, and adaptability, allowing for reliable handling of tools, components, and complex assemblies.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
In a forceful press conference following the incident, Frey urged ICE to leave the city.
—Sarah Davis, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2026
In the days after Good’s killing, Minneapolis saw other viral clips documenting immigration enforcement and protests, along with agents’ forceful engagement with people near those scenes, including photographers.
—Nicole M. Bennett, The Conversation, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Christine Zhang, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
This enables the humanoid to perform both delicate and forceful tasks with exceptional precision, stability, and adaptability, allowing for reliable handling of tools, components, and complex assemblies.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
In a forceful press conference following the incident, Frey urged ICE to leave the city.
—Sarah Davis, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2026
In the days after Good’s killing, Minneapolis saw other viral clips documenting immigration enforcement and protests, along with agents’ forceful engagement with people near those scenes, including photographers.
—Nicole M. Bennett, The Conversation, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forceful
Adjective
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Beyond the famous spaceships, X-Wing and TIE Fighter also brought compelling stories set in the Star Wars universe, alongside technical advancements like fully 3D graphics in place of the bitmap sprites of previous titles.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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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.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Some of the city's narrow streets fell victim to the aggressive snow totals, leaving residents with little wiggle room to get around it.—
Andrew Ramos,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The agency’s aggressive tactics this past year – especially when agents make their presence known in public areas in or near an employer, such as a parking lot – have had a chilling effect on businesses in areas where ICE has been operating.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Neighbors are now calling for a stronger police presence beyond the campus itself.—
Chelsea Jones,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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The yen touched its strongest level since October in US trading Tuesday after comments from Japanese officials, including just recently the finance minister, fueled speculation that the government may intervene in the market to prevent the currency from resuming its decline.—
Mia Glass,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The influential investor has the respect of Wall Street and deep knowledge of complex financial markets.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Ah, the nostalgic nineties, that notorious decade that's now being strip-mined for its influential music, funky fashion, dance moves, comics, movies, and television.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But how to interpret data, how to cross-reference a fact, and how to write a convincing essay are higher-level transferable skills.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Jan. 2026
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This is the ultimate trap game, coming after a convincing win at UNLV and before the showdown at second-place Utah State on Saturday on big-boy CBS.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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After Gonzalez hit a last-second three to force a second OT, Williams played the rest of the way, scoring a go-ahead layup through contact and helping seal the 130-126 victory with an emphatic block.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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Or colons, which are too emphatic.—
Karen Stabiner,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Gro-Low sumac performs best in full sun and tolerates partial shade, but will become less vigorous as the shade deepens.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
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For many patients, vigorous physical activity isn’t realistic during treatment.—
Avi Patel,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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There’s a casual, authoritative swing to their performance that belies the stylistic range on the record; the songs touch upon different traditions, yet all sound of a piece.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
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Washington delivers the dialogue with a thrilling range from purrs to roars, all imbued with an authoritative swagger.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forceful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forceful. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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