forced 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfȯrst How to pronounce forced (audio)
Definition of forcednext
1
as in required
forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law forced payment of membership dues

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

forced

2 of 2

verb

past tense of force
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

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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

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 forced
Adjective
Some Tibetan activists say the new law represents more forced cultural assimilation and extended control over ethnic minorities. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026 In the early 1930s, the Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times correspondent Walter Duranty wrote stories denying the famine that Joseph Stalin’s forced-collectivization policies were causing in Ukraine and mocked journalists who reported the truth. — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
Verb
The votes had little practical effect, but forced lawmakers to go on record and take a stand. — Kevin Freking, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 On special teams, Clemson forced a fumble on a kickoff that safety Kylon Griffin scooped and scored a TD and kicker Nolan Hauser hit three field goals including a career long 59 yarder in the final minute before halftime. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forced
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forced
  1. required
  2. strained
  3. unwilling
  4. compelled
  5. violated
  6. compulsory
  7. mock
  8. coerced
Adjective
  • An agent that gathers records or checks for required information may operate with limited intervention.
    — Heather Bassett, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Balderaz was also stabbed in the arm during a struggle and required stitches at the hospital, officials said.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of required
Adjective
  • Raman’s tendency to rethink her policy decisions has also contributed to her strained relations with her council colleagues, nearly all of whom are backing the mayor’s reelection bid.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • French bond woes Yields on French government bonds have surged to multiyear highs in recent days, as the country's mounting debt crisis fuels wider concerns about Europe's strained public finances.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of strained
Adjective
  • Traceability isn’t something being thrust on unwilling cotton suppliers, a new report found.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Houthis, still formally in a truce with Riyadh, appeared unwilling to aid their Iranian partners.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of unwilling
Verb
  • Her mother, Betsy Lopez, spoke to CBS News Sacramento in June and said she was compelled to advocate for safer streets after her daughter's death.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • To read even a downmarket newspaper, especially one from the mid-twentieth century before newspapers were compelled to compete with TV, is often to be surprised at the serious-mindedness of its journalism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of compelled
Verb
  • In a victory for the journalists, Kelly expanded a previous, temporary ruling that the administration had violated the news outlets' Fifth Amendment right to due process.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Nevertheless, even if the amendments had met the threshold and passed, the WIAA cannot implement a policy that is in violation of Washington state law and the amendments proposed would have violated state law.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of violated
Adjective
  • Although the regime has retreated from enforcing compulsory veiling, the opposition movement has continued to radicalize.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Reczek and Bosley-Smith read the return partly as evidence of compulsory kinship’s durability, and the evidence supports them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of compulsory
Adjective
  • Instead, the beleaguered quarterback continues to slide down mock draft boards as the season matures.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Testing sensors on canisters During the INL demonstration, researchers installed optical fibers outside a mock nuclear fuel canister and tested several arrangements to measure acoustic vibrations.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of mock
Verb
  • Doe alleges in her lawsuit that she was coerced into using drugs before the assault.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
  • They were coerced into signing a non-disclosure agreement that prevented them from ever exposing the details of what happened, and at whose hands.
    — Gretchen Carlson, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of coerced

Browse Nearby Words

force
forced
force-fed
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Cite this Entry

“Forced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forced. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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