FORCING Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

forcing

verb

present participle of force

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

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

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 forcing The air pollution has also affected several areas on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, forcing schools to suspend learning activities at school. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 Drones launched from Iraq damaged the East-West pipeline on Thursday, forcing the Saudi government to close the key crude oil artery. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026 John gets the upper hand and nearly takes the ring, before one of Zoe’s satellite weapons blows up half the motel, forcing Hal to use what little charge is left in the ring to protect himself and John. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026 Four plays into the drive, Wentz was sacked for a 10-yard loss on third-and-11, forcing a punt. — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 The one worth asking is whether your payments stack can absorb whichever rail ends up mattering, or, more realistically, whichever three of the four end up coexisting without forcing a rebuild six months later. — Dimitri Akhrin, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026 At the center of Putin’s governing intent is subjugating Ukraine and forcing the West to accept that outcome. — Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026 Pujo’s counsel, Samuel Untermyer, interrogated Morgan relentlessly, forcing the banker into transparently false denials. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026 State subsidies and mandates from Beijing have also encouraged excess production and cutthroat price wars, forcing them to turn to export markets and resulting in nearly a third of Chinese industrial firms operating at a loss. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forcing

Verb

Playing that cat, a work camp warden coercing Hawke’s character into smuggling gold through the wilderness, is none other than Russell Crowe.

— Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
But in the past, these efforts were largely aimed at threatening or coercing Washington to act in their favor.

— Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of coercing

Verb

George, despite missing significant time because of a 25-game suspension for violating NBA drug policy, had a good season on both ends.

— Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
In May, two children were taken by their mother, violating a court order, and were reported missing in Hillsborough County.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of violating

Verb

The state’s campaign watchdog can seek a court order compelling an influencer to disclose that they were paid, but that can take months.

— Sophie Austin, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
This trend could displace hundreds of thousands of older adults, compelling them to select new Medicare Advantage plans.

— Bruce Japsen, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of compelling

Verb

He was later convicted of raping four other women in separate apartment units in December 1978, September 1982, May 1986 and September 1986.

— Adam Thompson, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026
Swalwell, 45, suspended his campaign for governor of California in April after multiple women accused him of inappropriate behavior ranging from sending lewd, unwanted messages to drugging, raping and choking them.

— Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of raping

Verb

Your 11th House of Friends lights up as the life-giving Sun energizes that area, squaring obligating Saturn in your 8th House of Intimacy and Shared Resources.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2026
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

Definition of obligating

Verb

Ibe, 30, appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Friday to be sentenced for assaulting a person thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm, and he was fined and sentenced to community service, according to BBC News.

— Ali Rampling, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
He was accused of assaulting an unidentified 29-year-old woman the day prior to his arrest.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of assaulting

Verb

Recipe development can be a self-effacing task, obliging the writer to anticipate the appetites and routines of her imagined reader.

— Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
First is to prevent their further migration by enforcing an international treaty obliging national authorities to treat ballast waters inside incoming ships that may carry such species.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026

Definition of obliging

Verb

Families of the missing have been pressuring the government to speed up the rescue and recovery process from the tunnels.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
About 80 people took part in that demonstration, which was organized by local business leaders and aimed at pressuring the government to find solutions, according to Portugal’s Lusa News Agency.

— Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of pressuring

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forcibly

forcing

ford

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“Forcing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forcing. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of forcing

verb

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