1
as in compelling
having the power to persuade
made a very forceful argument against going to war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
Democrats have vowed to continue their pressure campaign on the administration over its immigration policies, but the incident involving Padilla and President Trump’s forceful response to Democratic protesters raise questions over how such confrontations will intensify.
—
Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 15 June 2025
Meanwhile, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and other national Latino organizations condemned the forceful removal of Democratic U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 14 June 2025
None of this ever comes back around, which feels a little odd given its forceful arrival.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 June 2025
Critics of the article might argue that forceful federal intervention is necessary when local authorities fail to maintain order, as seen in the 1992 curfews and National Guard deployment that ultimately quelled the riots[2][4].
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 15 June 2025
Meanwhile, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and other national Latino organizations condemned the forceful removal of Democratic U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 14 June 2025
None of this ever comes back around, which feels a little odd given its forceful arrival.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 June 2025
Critics of the article might argue that forceful federal intervention is necessary when local authorities fail to maintain order, as seen in the 1992 curfews and National Guard deployment that ultimately quelled the riots[2][4].
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forceful
Adjective
-
There’s a compelling case for Jimmy Rollins to sneak in over Lindor.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
-
Arguments for return-to-office would need to be compelling to convince voters and lawmakers that Newsom’s about-face is the better policy for the state and its workers.—
Erik Skindrud,
Mercury News,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Cross-examination of the victims’ two surviving roommates will likely be aggressive, especially of Dylan Mortensen.—
Jean Casarez,
CNN Money,
28 June 2025
-
But the Cubs and Yankees will likely be much more aggressive in pursuing him than the Brewers will.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
All of this is to say: fitness is the biggest influential player for the Dutch.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
Involve influential stakeholders right from the start.—
Apurva Wadodkar,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Anything short of a convincing win would be a massive loss for the club.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
-
Auckland City is the reigning champion of the New Zealand National League and met the qualifying criteria in the most convincing fashion.—
James Nalton,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
The San Francisco Giants answered any remaining questions about their hopes of contending this season with an emphatic move to bring in slugger Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
-
Sure, the No. 3 pick of the 2018 draft revived his formerly flailing career in an emphatic way last season, injecting himself into the MVP conversation while leading the Minnesota Vikings to the brink of the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
That means doing your best to get in at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous exercise, along with two days of strength training, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).—
Korin Miller,
Flow Space,
16 June 2025
-
These Asian species spread very easily to natural areas, where their vigorous growth smothers native plants.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
Others believe Wilcox to be among the most impressive operators at his level, appreciating his unassuming but authoritative manner.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
Conley has been sought out by Governor Slaton (a gently authoritative Chris Shyer), who has reopened the investigation at Lucille’s urging only to uncover contradictions and inconsistencies in the case.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forceful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forceful. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share