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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in police
a body of officers of the law
the police detective retired after 23 years on the force
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forces
Darlene Mealy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
In her latest Netflix action effort, Theron plays a woman who sets off on a trip to Australia to soothe her grief but unwittingly crosses paths with Egerton’s unnerving hunter, who forces her into a game of cat and mouse.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Doctors and nurses have complained bitterly about the situation, which forces them to provide inadequate care.
—Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The vast majority of fatal crashes are preventable with changes to infrastructure that forces drivers to slow down — a crash at 20 mph, for example, is extremely unlikely to kill anyone involved, but the risk multiplies very quickly at all speeds over 20 mph.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
But what begins as a local emergency soon spirals into a deeper, more terrifying mystery, one that forces the town’s residents to confront the unknown.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
This constraint forces strict prioritization.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Apr. 2026
The sustained lack of access for families forces them to either leave the workforce or rely on unregulated child care, which then strains employers and local economies, said Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of Children at Risk.
—Lina Ruiz
april 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026
The framing event of the season is a cyberattack that forces the team to go offline and use analog systems to route patients and document their care.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Apr. 2026
Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Just days after an Israeli soldier was photographed hitting a crucifix with what appeared to be a hammer or ax in southern Lebanon, Italian UN peacekeeping forces and the Vatican’s ambassador to the country brought a replacement statue and cross to the Christian village of Debel.
—Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Although Russian forces still occupy Ukraine, prices eventually dropped to a normal level.
—Hali Smith
april 24, Idaho Statesman, 24 Apr. 2026
Curation has also rightfully stressed that working outside the art institution is not always a choice, and Mirikitani’s itinerant lifestyle was largely shaped by political forces.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
IHeartMedia and SiriusXM are in early talks to join forces, with veteran music industry mogul Irving Azoff and Apollo Global Management offering to assist with and advise on any such deal, sources tell Variety.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
For decades now, China has functioned on the premise that wealth and social stability emerge only from a market economy in which big, unseen forces—not to be questioned or defied by individuals—control everything important.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
Thursday’s Security Council meeting, which was attended by Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, unfolded against a backdrop in which security forces have seen some security gains in downtown Port-au-Prince but as armed groups continue to expand and tighten their grip.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Commercial ships must coordinate with Iranian forces, a source close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council told Tasnim News.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
New Yorkers deserve a system that protects them before harm occurs — not one that forces them to fight for years to reclaim what was already theirs.
—Darlene Mealy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
In her latest Netflix action effort, Theron plays a woman who sets off on a trip to Australia to soothe her grief but unwittingly crosses paths with Egerton’s unnerving hunter, who forces her into a game of cat and mouse.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Doctors and nurses have complained bitterly about the situation, which forces them to provide inadequate care.
—Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The vast majority of fatal crashes are preventable with changes to infrastructure that forces drivers to slow down — a crash at 20 mph, for example, is extremely unlikely to kill anyone involved, but the risk multiplies very quickly at all speeds over 20 mph.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
But what begins as a local emergency soon spirals into a deeper, more terrifying mystery, one that forces the town’s residents to confront the unknown.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
This constraint forces strict prioritization.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Apr. 2026
The sustained lack of access for families forces them to either leave the workforce or rely on unregulated child care, which then strains employers and local economies, said Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of Children at Risk.
—Lina Ruiz
april 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026
The framing event of the season is a cyberattack that forces the team to go offline and use analog systems to route patients and document their care.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Apr. 2026
Noun
American forces have used thousands of missiles in attacking Iran while allies have powered through stockpiles in fending off Tehran’s assaults, leaving reserves low and forcing the Pentagon to rush hardware to the Gulf.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Just days after an Israeli soldier was photographed hitting a crucifix with what appeared to be a hammer or ax in southern Lebanon, Italian UN peacekeeping forces and the Vatican’s ambassador to the country brought a replacement statue and cross to the Christian village of Debel.
—Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Although Russian forces still occupy Ukraine, prices eventually dropped to a normal level.
—Hali Smith
april 24, Idaho Statesman, 24 Apr. 2026
Curation has also rightfully stressed that working outside the art institution is not always a choice, and Mirikitani’s itinerant lifestyle was largely shaped by political forces.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
IHeartMedia and SiriusXM are in early talks to join forces, with veteran music industry mogul Irving Azoff and Apollo Global Management offering to assist with and advise on any such deal, sources tell Variety.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
For decades now, China has functioned on the premise that wealth and social stability emerge only from a market economy in which big, unseen forces—not to be questioned or defied by individuals—control everything important.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
Thursday’s Security Council meeting, which was attended by Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, unfolded against a backdrop in which security forces have seen some security gains in downtown Port-au-Prince but as armed groups continue to expand and tighten their grip.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Commercial ships must coordinate with Iranian forces, a source close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council told Tasnim News.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forces
Verb
-
Yet the Gospel compels us to do just that.—
William E. Lori,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Perhaps that’s what compels me, somewhere in the middle of our lunch, to unmask.—
Zeba Blay,
SELF,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The second problem with a moratorium on calling your opponents authoritarian is that Trump himself routinely violates it.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Critics and rights groups have said the DHS campaign violates due process and free speech.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Meta and Microsoft have also announced plans to reduce their workforces, with Meta reinvesting in AI.—
Seema Mody,Kate Rooney,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
-
But Illinois employers don’t need to wait until the law’s full implementation to reap the benefits in their workforces of embracing talented people who have been affected by the justice system.—
Brian Fabes,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But cost pressures have escalated quickly in many regions.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
At the same time, many institutions are grappling with ballooning operating costs and sliding enrollment, pressures that are intensifying labor conflicts over pay and resources.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Two persons of interest were being questioned by police Monday, sources said.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Videos of police abuse recorded by users remained a common theme on social media for decades.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While much of the world’s economy has shown resilience in the face of the worst disruption to energy supplies in modern times, the knock-on effects of the conflict are starting to push up inflation while raising alarm bells about food supplies and prompting downgrades to economic growth.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!—
Kathleen Saxe,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
However, the rotation of this filament clearly dominates how the galaxies within it spin, perhaps by funneling hydrogen gas along the dark-matter filament and onto the galaxies in a way that coerces their spin while providing further fuel for star formation.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
4 Dec. 2025
-
Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, Ali, a university professor, coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Through these photos, Dominique Pelicot is not ‘just’ casting an incestuous gaze on me, as was said during the investigation and the Mazan rapes trial.—
TIME,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
-
And when her brother-in-law, Stanley (Marlon Brando), rapes her, her descent into madness was made all the more vivid and believable by Leigh's precise depiction of vulnerability and instability.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forces. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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