1
as in compelling
having the power to persuade
made a very forceful argument against going to war
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aggressive
marked by or uttered with forcefulness
kept asking until I gave a very forceful and blunt "no"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in strong
not showing weakness or uncertainty
took a forceful stand on the highly controversial issue
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4
as in influential
having power over the minds or behavior of others
a forceful speaker whose words moved the audience to tears
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forceful
This was Vance's first major policy speech and trip abroad as vice president, giving him the opportunity to project President Donald Trump's forceful new style of diplomacy on a global stage, after Trump on Monday declined to endorse him as his successor.
—
Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Stringer | Afp | Getty Images The imminent U.S. tariffs are likely to deal a significant blow to China’s already-faltering economy, reinforcing calls for more forceful stimulus measures to bolster the country’s growth.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025
Hearts and minds creak open and snap shut over time, typically with forceful nudges.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2025
The impulse generated is not as immediately forceful as a chemical rocket, but ion engines require less fuel and therefore less mass, which reduces launch costs, and ion engines don't use up all their fuel as quickly as chemical rockets do.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 25 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Stringer | Afp | Getty Images The imminent U.S. tariffs are likely to deal a significant blow to China’s already-faltering economy, reinforcing calls for more forceful stimulus measures to bolster the country’s growth.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025
Hearts and minds creak open and snap shut over time, typically with forceful nudges.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2025
The impulse generated is not as immediately forceful as a chemical rocket, but ion engines require less fuel and therefore less mass, which reduces launch costs, and ion engines don't use up all their fuel as quickly as chemical rockets do.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 25 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forceful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forceful
Adjective
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But that’s what true leadership looks like — betting on a vision so compelling that others have to follow.—
AJ Thomas,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.—
Sharareh Drury,
People.com,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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With her outfit switched up to a leather bustier and hot pants combo, Lizzo enjoys being the center off attention until her high starts to turn and the once-friendly dancers get aggressive, things get a bit blurry and the faces around her get zombie-fied.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
28 Feb. 2025
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New numbers show 52% of detainees were originally arrested by ICE compared to 48% first apprehended by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), signaling how aggressive the Trump administration is turning toward the interior of the nation for immigration enforcement.—
Russell Contreras,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This results in a charge imbalance that builds up an electric field strong enough to trigger flashes of lightning.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
13 Jan. 2023
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According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, strong gun control laws are correlated with fewer gun deaths.—
Elliot Hughes,
Journal Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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The most influential leaders establish credibility through reliability, transparency, and consistency in their messaging.—
Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Weighing most heavily on the market was superstar stock Nvidia, one of Wall Street’s most influential companies that’s been leading the market for years.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Their authenticity and personality were gone, along with any chance of connecting with the voters who needed convincing.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
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More sophisticated and convincing decoys have also been deployed.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The answer to that question should be an emphatic 'No,' but a majority of this court apparently thinks otherwise.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2025
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The answer to that question should be an emphatic 'No,' but a majority of this Court apparently thinks otherwise.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Timing for Fertilizing Roses Healthy repeat-blooming roses require nearly year-round feeding from early spring to fall to remain vigorous and resist diseases.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
2 Mar. 2025
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All have attractive foliage and most are vigorous spreaders, so keep that in mind when selecting a planting site.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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LLMs don’t use E-E-A-T the same way as search engines, but authoritative sources still shape their responses.—
Nick Brown,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
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His timely break into a skating lane and McTavish’s authoritative pass synergized perfectly to turn a rush without numbers into a go-ahead goal, Strome’s ninth.—
Andrew Knoll,
Orange County Register,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forceful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forceful. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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