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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Preparing for a speaking engagement—from crafting a compelling narrative to rehearsing your delivery—requires freeing part of one’s schedule, which can feel impossible amid competing priorities.—
Federico Sendra,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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Produced, directed, and written by Perry, Duplicity aims to continue his legacy of compelling storytelling.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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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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
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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
Adjective
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His book has the deft touch that can come only when the ego of the journalist ebbs into something far more substantial and convincing.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
The New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2025
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The headphones have been designed to extract as much detail as possible from the music by separating the instruments into a convincing soundstage.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The Fed again zeroed in on the potentially inflationary effects of Trump’s economic agenda, this time in more emphatic terms.—
Andrew Ross Sorkin,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
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Could there be a more emphatic conflation of symbolic maleness and brute force?—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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While Montessori is known for its vigorous teachings of math, science and other core subjects, the curriculum moves with the child and teachers can adapt to different learning styles.—
Gqlshare,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Feb. 2025
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For some, this process is a welcome departure from the vigorous scrubbing of years past.—
Angela Trakoshis,
Allure,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This was the sort of authoritative result that proves Missouri could make some noise come March.—
Brendan Marks,
The Athletic,
21 Feb. 2025
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Isbell’s authoritative vocal performance also highlighted his savvy wordplay and observations, tools that reinforced his music’s tight links with descriptive language and honest perspective.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forceful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forceful. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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