1
as in coercing
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violating
to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent
was accused of forcing a woman
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Recent Examples of forcing
For small trucking companies, the increases are forcing difficult decisions.
—
Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Instead of viewing constraints as blockers (budget, time, market conditions), treat them as forcing functions that sharpen decision-making.
—Lisa Song Sutton, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
The denim market, in particular, has spent the past year grappling with mounting cost and compliance pressures tied to Trump’s broader trade agenda, forcing the industry to rethink where and how products are made.
—Andre Claudio, Footwear News, 7 Apr. 2026
The Atlanta Hawks were about a half-second away from tying their game against the New York Knicks and forcing overtime on Monday night.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Israel has increasingly targeted Lebanese first responders and medical centers, forcing several hospitals to evacuate.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2026
Its successful attacks prompted Russia to adapt, limiting opportunities for further Black Sea strikes and forcing Ukrainian experts to envision more ambitious attacks.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The Heat did it by sitting in its zone defense for most of the night, slowing the 76ers and forcing them into 17 non-paint two-point shots.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
The administration has said construction on the ballroom would begin in April, forcing Leon to rule quickly after a March hearing.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Instead of viewing constraints as blockers (budget, time, market conditions), treat them as forcing functions that sharpen decision-making.
—Lisa Song Sutton, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
The denim market, in particular, has spent the past year grappling with mounting cost and compliance pressures tied to Trump’s broader trade agenda, forcing the industry to rethink where and how products are made.
—Andre Claudio, Footwear News, 7 Apr. 2026
The Atlanta Hawks were about a half-second away from tying their game against the New York Knicks and forcing overtime on Monday night.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Israel has increasingly targeted Lebanese first responders and medical centers, forcing several hospitals to evacuate.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2026
Its successful attacks prompted Russia to adapt, limiting opportunities for further Black Sea strikes and forcing Ukrainian experts to envision more ambitious attacks.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The Heat did it by sitting in its zone defense for most of the night, slowing the 76ers and forcing them into 17 non-paint two-point shots.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
The administration has said construction on the ballroom would begin in April, forcing Leon to rule quickly after a March hearing.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forcing
Verb
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Indonesia responded the following day by coercing the UDT and APODETI, among others, into issuing and signing the Balibo Declaration, which proclaimed the integration of East Timor into Indonesia.—
Agathe Demarolle,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Mar. 2026
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Meyers is also accused of coercing the 15-year-old into recording the high school’s wrestling team, the complaint alleges.—
Brittany Kubicko,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors said Kamnik also used the state's Justice Network, known as JNET, to obtain hundreds of photographs of women, violating database policies.—
Frederick Sutton Sinclair,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Several have also been sanctioned by foreign governments that accused them of supporting and serving in the military government or violating human rights.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On March 17, the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena to Bondi, compelling her to sit for a deposition about the DOJ's handling of the Epstein files on April 14.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Justice Department initially said that its release, made in response to a law passed by Congress compelling the agency to disclose nearly all files related to Epstein, comprised more than 3 million pages.—
Elliott Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Denise Richards plays wealthy high schooler Kelly Van Ryan, who accuses her guidance counselor, Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon), of raping her; her case is then reinforced when outcast Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell) comes forward with her own allegation against Sam.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Apr. 2026
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One man, Jean-Pierre Marechal, was on trial not for raping Gisèle Pelicot but for using the same methods to rape his own wife and letting Dominique Pelicot rape her as well.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The unions argue that carrying out permanent layoffs during a funding lapse violates the Antideficiency Act, which bars agencies from obligating funds without congressional authorization, and exceeds executive authority under the Administrative Procedure Act.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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This document, signed by a sponsor, is a legally enforceable contract obligating the sponsor to support the immigrant and prevent them from relying on public aid.—
Daniel Shoer Roth,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The lawyers had argued that a history of assaulting women didn’t make Combs guilty of the crimes charged.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Philadelphia sports radio personality Mike Missanelli was arrested early Wednesday morning for allegedly assaulting his fiancee, police said.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In civil aerospace, for example, Rolls is benefiting as manufacturers Airbus and Boeing struggle to deliver new aircraft at the pace the market requires — obliging airlines to keep flying old planes (and their engines) for longer.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
25 Feb. 2026
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Black has sometimes driven for miles to a particular cemetery only to find a funeral under way, obliging him to leave empty-handed.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Stricter rules were imposed on documentation required for sponsors, border agents started pressuring unaccompanied children to self-deport before transferring them to shelters and Immigration and Customs Enforcement started arresting some sponsors in the middle of the release process.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Local leaders, who are also frustrated by the change in policy, are fighting back, pressuring the state to reconsider.—
Cheryl Fiandaca,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forcing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forcing. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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