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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forcing
That simple change would introduce real competition, allowing merchants to choose lower-cost options and forcing the dominant players to compete on price and service--just like any other market.
—
Arkansas Online, 9 Jan. 2026
Jackson remains optimistic that Medicaid cuts will spur a public backlash against lawmakers, forcing Congress to reverse Medicaid cuts before additional layoffs are necessary.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
During their time there, Hildebrandt and Ruby punished and abused the two youngest kids by depriving them of food and water, isolating them from others and forcing them to do strenuous physical tasks, the Washington County Attorney’s Office claimed.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Given the lack of gravity, even a runny nose can turn into an extremely unpleasant experience, forcing astronauts to resort to unusual measures just to drain mucus from their nasal passages.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 8 Jan. 2026
That’s institutional investors snatching up homes by the hundreds and thousands at a time, crushing the dream of home ownership, and forcing rents too damn high for everyone else.
—Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The biggest problem is with the bigs, a lack of rim protection forcing Cronin increasingly to go with smaller lineups in recent games.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Real Madrid and Barcelona shut out fans on police advice, underscoring how geopolitical tensions continue to spill into European sports — forcing elite competition behind closed doors.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
With the sharp decline in migrants, the village's economy has taken a major hit, forcing residents back to traditional occupations.
—Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Arkansas Online, 9 Jan. 2026
Jackson remains optimistic that Medicaid cuts will spur a public backlash against lawmakers, forcing Congress to reverse Medicaid cuts before additional layoffs are necessary.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
During their time there, Hildebrandt and Ruby punished and abused the two youngest kids by depriving them of food and water, isolating them from others and forcing them to do strenuous physical tasks, the Washington County Attorney’s Office claimed.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Given the lack of gravity, even a runny nose can turn into an extremely unpleasant experience, forcing astronauts to resort to unusual measures just to drain mucus from their nasal passages.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 8 Jan. 2026
That’s institutional investors snatching up homes by the hundreds and thousands at a time, crushing the dream of home ownership, and forcing rents too damn high for everyone else.
—Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The biggest problem is with the bigs, a lack of rim protection forcing Cronin increasingly to go with smaller lineups in recent games.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Real Madrid and Barcelona shut out fans on police advice, underscoring how geopolitical tensions continue to spill into European sports — forcing elite competition behind closed doors.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
With the sharp decline in migrants, the village's economy has taken a major hit, forcing residents back to traditional occupations.
—Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forcing
Verb
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This would likely mean seizing more resources inside Yemen—for example, by capturing the oil-rich governorate of Marib east of Sanaa—or by coercing Saudi Arabia into offering new financial concessions.—
April Longley Alley,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Dec. 2025
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There were more damning allegations made by Burrowes against Diddy, which included Combs coercing Burrowes to make changes in Biggie’s record deal with Bad Boy to make the terms more lucrative and favorable for the label.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The plaintiffs asked the judge to issue a temporary restraining order, claiming that the ICE surge and raids are continuously violating the rights of citizens.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Local leaders say the government is violating free speech and other constitutional rights with the surge of law enforcement.—
Hayley Walker,
NBC news,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In season four, Mike’s (Renner) control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Jan. 2026
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In Season 4 of Mayor of Kingstown, Mike’s (Renner) control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While many were noncontroversial pardons for low-level drug offenders, some drew strong criticism, including one for a man convicted of homicide in 2017 whose family later hosted a political fundraiser for the governor and another for a man convicted of raping a 9-year-old child.—
Lucas Aulbach,
Louisville Courier Journal,
15 Jan. 2026
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In his first State of the State address as Florida’s governor, DeSantis touted his pardon of the Groveland Four, a group of Black men in the late 1940s who were falsely accused of raping a white woman.—
Romy Ellenbogen,
Miami Herald,
13 Jan. 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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Sutherland is accused of entering the vehicle and physically assaulting the driver, police said.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
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Jerson Lopez-Sanchez, 28, a citizen of Honduras, was indicted and charged with three counts of assaulting federal immigration agents, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced Thursday.—
Rachel Wolf , Brooke Taylor,
FOXNews.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After obliging, the rapper started to riff by adding some new insults.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
22 Dec. 2025
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Even in that short call, Paulson masterfully rides a roller coaster of emotion, from being starstruck over Crawford, bullied into skipping her big moment, to obliging her out of pity.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Bain was as dominant as ever against the Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl, producing a sack while pressuring Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin throughout.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
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And the United States, the world’s leading producer of both oil and natural gas, is now aggressively pressuring countries to keep buying and burning fossil fuels.—
Jennifer Morgan,
The Conversation,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forcing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forcing. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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