Synonyms of forces

forces 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of force

1

as in compels

to cause (a person) to give in to pressure

the public outcry from the scandal forced the mayor to resign

road construction forced them to take an alternate route

Synonyms & Similar Words

• compels
• coerces
• obliges
• obligates
• pressures
• drives
• constrains
• muscles
• impels
• presses
• dragoons
• blackmails
• bullies
• impresses
• intimidates
• sandbags
• makes
• threatens
• cows
• blackjacks
• twists one's arm
• menaces
• browbeats
• high-pressures
• drags
• terrorizes
• bulldozes
• shames
• hectors
• badgers
• harasses
• hounds

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• permits
• allows
• lets
• moves
• argues
• induces
• wins (over)
• satisfies
• prevails (on or upon)
• talks (into)
• convinces
• persuades

2

as in violates

to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent

was accused of forcing a woman

Synonyms & Similar Words

• violates
• rapes
• assaults
• ravishes
• date rapes
• gang rapes
• deflowers
• molests
• paws
• defiles

forces

2 of 2

noun

plural of force

1

as in workforces

a body of persons at work or available for work

the entire force of the shipyard will be needed to get this government order done on time

Synonyms & Similar Words

• workforces
• staffs
• manpowers
• pools
• crews
• workers
• labor forces
• personnels
• help
• employees
• teams
• companies
• squads
• helpers
• gangs
• proletariats
• bands
• hirelings
• outfits
• parties
• supports
• labors
• blood
• rank and files

2

as in pressures

the use of power to impose one's will on another

a cruel tyrant who disbanded the parliament and ruled by force

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pressures
• constraints
• compulsions
• violences
• intimidations
• coercions
• fears
• threats
• stresses
• strengths
• terrors
• arm-twistings
• muscles
• duresses
• menaces
• terrorisms
• swords
• squeezes
• potencies
• mights
• puissances
• browbeatings
• bulldozings
• squeeze plays
• self-wills
• strains

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• agreements
• consents
• approvals
• permissions
• reasons
• persuasions
• suasions

3

as in police

a body of officers of the law

the police detective retired after 23 years on the force

Synonyms & Similar Words

• police
• constabularies
• police forces
• men
• policemen
• heat
• officers
• cops
• troopers
• gendarmes
• constables
• police officers
• bluecoats
• policewomen
• coppers
• fuzzes
• bulls
• bobbies
• shamuses
• peelers

4

as in supplies

the number of individuals or amount of something available at any given time

the great debate during the Cold War was whether the nation's missile force was adequate

Synonyms & Similar Words

• supplies
• inventories
• repertoires
• funds
• pools
• reservoirs
• budgets
• stocks
• resources
• sources
• hoards
• reserves
• stockpiles
• replacements
• caches
• mines
• springs
• renewals
• wells
• purses
• fountains
• refills
• nest eggs
• kitties
• pots
• wellsprings

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of forces

Verb

Some voting laws have changed in Ohio since 2022, including the state eliminating its grace period for receiving mail ballots, a change that forces voters to return those ballots earlier. — Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

This book forces us to consider how clothing can communicate identity without the body, or gestures, or the visage, but rather through arrangement and spatial orientation. — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Those initiatives included bold greenhouse gas reduction targets and the nation-leading cap-and-invest program, which forces large polluters to pay for their share of planet-warming emissions. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

The bill also forces states to cover a larger share of the administrative costs tied to error rates. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026

Writing strips out the reactive tone that damages trust and forces people to engage with the actual argument instead of the way it was said. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Maya runs away from her pain by traveling the world, first to Portugal and then to London and Japan, but an unexpected romance forces her to confront her past and realize that there may be more than one love of her life. — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

So Benn sees his work on YouTube and with other researchers, civil rights groups, and journalists as an accountability function that forces this conversation to the forefront. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026

The new series picks up after Korra’s actions, which inadvertently lead to an apocalypse that forces humanity to take refuge in the titular Havens, all of which have visually distinct identities. — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

Noun

The special forces arrived a day after Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele announced a military operation to rescue the four aviation technicians and threatened a more forceful response if they’re not released alive and unharmed. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Wednesday that some military forces would be deployed to help maintain order. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

The novel forces readers to wrestle with the uncomfortable fact that Chrissie would rather have two dead children than one who isn’t part of the dominant class. — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026

Starlink has been providing internet service to Ukrainian civilians and military forces since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, according to Reuters. — Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

With substantial American forces already positioned in the region, Washington may be tempted to break the deadlock through another round of attacks. — Ali Vaez, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

The footage shows Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Gandalf (Daniel Weyman) rallying the forces of Middle-earth amid battles and romance as Sauron (Charlie Vickers) unleashes his forces. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026

That compatibility could help defense forces incorporate the capability into existing communications networks. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

Twelve of them are executed on the banks of Pyongyang’s Taedong River, and the advancing South Korean forces want to turn them into martyrs. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026

Phrases Containing forces

• armed forces