1
as in to compel
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in manpower
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
2
as in pressure
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in power
the ability to exert effort for the accomplishment of a task
got through the college board exams by sheer force of will
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in effectiveness
the capacity to persuade
surely you were influenced by the force of his arguments?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in impact
the quality of an utterance that provokes interest and produces an effect
expressed the full force of her frustration with her son for his reckless behavior
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in violence
the use of brute strength to cause harm to a person or property
the officer threatened to resort to force if the suspect did not surrender
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
8
as in supply
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
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 force
Dana Santas, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
Months' worth of rainfall fell within just a few hours, overwhelming riverfront communities and forcing emergency teams to evacuate children's summer camps threatened by rising water.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 14 July 2025
Testing will remain in force until the end of the event, with 830 samples to be collected during 24 days of competition, the Aquatics Integrity Unit said.
—CNN Money, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for force
Verb
This upper-chest pattern bypasses your diaphragm, forcing muscles in your neck and shoulders to take over the work of pulling in each breath.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
Months' worth of rainfall fell within just a few hours, overwhelming riverfront communities and forcing emergency teams to evacuate children's summer camps threatened by rising water.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
Noun
And yet, to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, the misfortune of others cannot be the driving force behind a push to get out of the play-in bracket in the East after three consecutive seasons of doing the postseason the hard way.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 14 July 2025
Testing will remain in force until the end of the event, with 830 samples to be collected during 24 days of competition, the Aquatics Integrity Unit said.
—CNN Money, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for force
Recent Examples of Synonyms for force
Verb
-
So she still feels compelled to speak up for these fellow children of God.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 July 2025
-
That compels people to shell out somewhere between $2,500 and $3,000 for courtside seats for a summer league game, as people did Thursday.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Last year, the Department of Justice sued Legends for violating federal waiting period requirements related to its acquisition of ASM Global, which was the former operator of Pechanga Arena San Diego.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 July 2025
-
Unintentional bias or disproportionate outcomes alone do not violate the statute.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Keeping an eye on the Gulf The National Hurricane Center has identified an area of low atmospheric pressure that’s expected to move west across Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico in the coming days.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
14 July 2025
-
As coffee lovers become more knowledgeable and discerning about the sourcing, roasting, brewing, sustainability and taste of coffee, this creates pressure on the hospitality industry to meet their expectations.—
Irene S. Levine,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
There's more than enough power in the iPhone Pro and Pro Max models to allow macOS to run smoothly on the hardware.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
-
The vacuum adjusts suction power automatically to match your floor type, which also helps to optimize runtime.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2025
Noun
-
Research consistently shows that leaders who stay calm and composed in high-pressure situations have a significant impact on team outcomes.—
Rhett Power,
Rolling Stone,
15 July 2025
-
The song had such an impact that the term ‘stan’ was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Researchers and experts cite many reasons for this, including the rise of gun violence, food insecurity, and health care accessibility.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
14 July 2025
-
One of his biggest accomplishments was helping form the Minneapolis Urban Coalition after the Plymouth Avenue violence in 1967.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
Two men have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a 46-year-old man during an altercation at an El Cajon park earlier this year, police announced Monday.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 July 2025
-
His platform also includes implementing a Department of Community Safety with outreach workers in subway stations, contrasting with Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul's police partnership.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Energy operators had to cut off electricity to customers — because supply couldn’t meet the growing energy demand — for 21 hours as a measure to prevent larger-scale blackouts.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
6 July 2025
-
This will include school supplies and household essentials from Amazon Basics (starting at $3) and summer fashion from Amazon Essentials (starting at $12).—
Shelby Slade,
AZCentral.com,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Force.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/force. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share