1
as in required
forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law
forced payment of membership dues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strained
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
wasn't thrilled with the suggestion and so responded with a forced smile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unwilling
not made or done willingly or by choice
participation in the program was forced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in compelled
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violated
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 forced
Gabrielle Fonrouge,melissa Repko,annie Palmer, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
The acronym is so reverse-engineered and forced.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
There is little action that could be forced upon these platforms with today’s Section 230 protections for third-party content, but there is growing Republican support for reforming, or even repealing, the law.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forced
Adjective
The Biden administration particularly focused on how the exemption allowed goods made with forced labor to make it into the country in violation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge,melissa Repko,annie Palmer, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
The acronym is so reverse-engineered and forced.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
The incidents forced several airports to temporarily close and disrupted travel for tens of thousands of people.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
There is little action that could be forced upon these platforms with today’s Section 230 protections for third-party content, but there is growing Republican support for reforming, or even repealing, the law.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forced
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forced
Adjective
-
The required curriculum and practicum hours not only prepare the graduates to serve preschool through 12th-grade students, but their families, as well.—
Jenelyn Russo,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Going forward, Boeing and FAA inspectors will take turns performing the required pre-flight safety checks.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
From frequent relocations to a carousel of careers (culminating in a stint in Hot Springs), his choices left indelible marks on those closest to him, including strained relationships and tangled finances.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
-
In other instances, the lyrics feel a bit strained.—
Juan J. Arroyo,
Rolling Stone,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Indeed, the answer to the question Alan Sparks raised about what happens to all of the money flowing through the county government is one that even local authorities are unable, or unwilling, to answer.—
Mitch Moxley,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Anybody, whether on the left or the right, who is unwilling to accept the possibility that their own views may be wrong, has no more than a shallow commitment to freedom of opinion and expression.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
What compelled you to want to be more cognizant of styling?—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Kobach asked Watson to issue a court order that would have compelled Kelly and Howard to sign off on the data transfer as part of their official duties.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Days later, on September 13, Russian drones violated Romanian airspace, prompting Bucharest to scramble fighter jets.—
Frederik Pleitgen,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In another lawsuit, lawyers argue that the First Amendment rights of detainees are being violated because attorneys face challenges in meeting with their clients at the site.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The problem arises when implicit or explicit pressures make either covering or uncovering feel compulsory—so the aim is to restore agency, letting employees decide for themselves without penalty.—
Tia Katz,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The campaign faces a tight deadline, but veto referendums have been successful in Missouri as recently as 2017, when labor unions successfully organized to defeat a right-to-work law that would have banned compulsory union fees.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Flight 11 will target those same two splashdown zones, and Ship will aim to deploy another eight mock Starlinks, SpaceX wrote in Monday's update.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Recently, Taylor invited her daughter’s class to Euronews Albania for a behind-the-scenes look at how television is made, where the children took part in mock interviews and explored the studio with wide-eyed excitement.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Stefon Flowers coerced at least four women into prostitution for his financial gain over the course of three months in 2023, according to a news release from the Denver District Attorney’s Office.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The word describes what happens when electrons are coerced to spin in tandem, as opposed to spinning in opposite directions, which is the default state of most electrons most of the time.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forced. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
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