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
Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
In nearly every practical sense, these conditions mirror those faced by people in forced labor.
—CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 31 May 2026
The fund was the topic of a heated conference meeting among Senate Republicans earlier this month, and forced GOP leaders to scrap plans to fund immigration enforcement.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for forced
Adjective
Some of his jabs seemed a bit forced and stagy.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
In nearly every practical sense, these conditions mirror those faced by people in forced labor.
—CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
Abiy was initially brought to power by this coalition to calm tensions that forced his predecessor Desalegn to step down.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 31 May 2026
The fund was the topic of a heated conference meeting among Senate Republicans earlier this month, and forced GOP leaders to scrap plans to fund immigration enforcement.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for forced
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forced
Adjective
-
The storefront was small but required grueling work, often keeping him away from his wife, Lynda, and their four children.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
From Visibility To Observability The required shift is from visibility to observability.—
John Pritchard,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Last year, Hernández played in just one rehab game returning from a strained groin.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Large parts of its war effort are now unmanned, the robots, drones, and remotely piloted tanks giving it a sudden, albeit fragile, edge over a lumbering and strained Russian invader.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
In both cases, outsiders arrived amid shifting political and business winds and made clear that anyone unwilling to get on board could leave.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
With the Nuggets, the Kroenkes are reluctant to splash serious cash to upgrade the coaching staff or the front office and reportedly unwilling to eat more luxury tax penalties.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
As imperial forces traversed continents, the meanings and uses of these arrivals—whether people, plants, or ideologies— were actively negotiated and reshaped by the societies and environments compelled to contend with them.—
Sophia Rey,
JSTOR Daily,
28 May 2026
-
Large pharmaceutical companies are structurally compelled to acquire.—
Marc Cooper,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Protestant ethics, however, are not violated without the torment of guilt or the pleasure of self-destruction; never good enough, never bad enough.—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
Patagonia alleged Pattie Gonia violated the agreement by selling merchandise, and the complaint includes email correspondence between the parties in 2025, in which the company reminded the drag queen their agreement prohibits the commercialization of the Pattie Gonia name.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Military service is compulsory for most Jewish men and women in Israel.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Attendance to the march wasn’t compulsory for Kings players.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lewis oversaw workshops with school kids himself, traveling to schools in his free time, staging mock trials and handing out copies of legal documents, like the Constitution.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Each year, a different brother played Paddy, lying in the coffin, where he was roasted by a series of mock eulogies.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
In the state of Arkansas, lawmakers worked across the aisle on a bold bill that categorizes kids recruited into gangs and coerced into committing crimes as victims.—
Ana Zamora,
Time,
3 June 2026
-
The thoughtlessness with which this bride coerced you into subsidizing her wedding was stunning.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forced. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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