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
Trump has promised more forceful use of the death penalty, particularly in cases against undocumented immigrants and even in cases where the defendant isn’t accused of murder.
—
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
These moves have been challenged by Manila, resulting in clashes around South China Sea hot spots that have at times seen China's coast guard engage in forceful tactics, such as ramming and water cannon blasts.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Domestic consumption plays have done decently, though more forceful action is needed.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
In the 38th minute of Madrid’s 1-0 win, Mbappe put in a late, forceful tackle on Alaves’ Antonio Blanco that saw the France forward catch the midfielder high on the leg with his studs.
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
These moves have been challenged by Manila, resulting in clashes around South China Sea hot spots that have at times seen China's coast guard engage in forceful tactics, such as ramming and water cannon blasts.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Domestic consumption plays have done decently, though more forceful action is needed.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
In the 38th minute of Madrid’s 1-0 win, Mbappe put in a late, forceful tackle on Alaves’ Antonio Blanco that saw the France forward catch the midfielder high on the leg with his studs.
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forceful
Adjective
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The Spirit and Pride’s rivalry is quickly becoming one of the most compelling matchups in the league.—
Asli Pelit,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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Either way, there do not appear to be many other compelling paths for either Cargill or Naomi to take after WrestleMania 41 that don’t involve each other.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But in recent weeks, Musk dramatically lowered his taxpayer savings estimates from DOGE's government cuts, disagreed publicly with Trump's aggressive tariff policies and butted heads with multiple Trump officials, some publicly, revealing divisions within the White House over Musk's influence.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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Moderate Republicans from swing districts are balking at deep cuts to social safety net programs, even as hardliners demand more aggressive reductions.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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Anthony Milewski is the founder of The Oregon Group and an influential figure in the mining, metals and energy industries.—
Anthony Milewski,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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To be sure, pipeline commentary, especially expectations for its GLP-1 pill , also will be influential.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,Matthew J. Belvedere,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Tonge is convincing in his conclusion that the religious orders are a permanent feature of Turkish politics and public life.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
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Daniel Farke’s side could not have been more convincing in their final push for the Premier League.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Mavericks, on the other hand, are coming off an emphatic road win over the Kings.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
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Catcher Rob Brantly fielded Josh Bell’s dribbler, stepped on home plate and fired the ball to first, ending the threat and eliciting an emphatic fist pump from Quantrill.—
Steve Gorten,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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One study showed that a maximum reduction in mortality could result from 150 to 300 minutes per week of vigorous activity, 300 to 600 minutes per week of moderate physical activity, or a combination of these.2 2.—
Amy Kwan,
Verywell Health,
16 Apr. 2025
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Advocates of vigorous government oversight look upon the concept of federal preemption as a tool of deregulation.—
Glenn G. Lammi,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In this authoritative, elegant biography, Daut meticulously combs the torrents of contemporary letters and broadsheets to draw a complex, contradictory portrait of Christophe, also known as King Henry.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
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The distant therapist Not too long ago, therapists acted like black boxes and authoritative gods.—
David E. Tolchinsky,
The Conversation,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forceful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forceful. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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