I.
noun
1 physical strength, power or violence
ADJECTIVE
▪ considerable , great , terrible , tremendous
▪ full , maximum
▪ brute , sheer
▪ reasonable ( esp. BrE )
▪ sufficient
▪ excessive
▪ unlawful ( BrE )
▪ deadly , lethal
▪ explosive
▪ physical
▪ gale , hurricane
▪
The wind was increasing to gale ~.
▪
hurricane-force winds
VERB + FORCE
▪ employ , resort to , use
▪
In the end, we had to resort to brute ~ to get the door open.
▪ take sth by
▪
The troops marched in and took the city by ~.
▪ feel
▪
Everyone felt the ~ of his argument.
PREPOSITION
▪ by ~
▪
The king made laws and imposed them by ~.
PHRASES
▪ catch the full ~ of sth , feel the full ~ of sth , take the full ~ of sth
▪
Our house took the full ~ of the bomb blast.
▪
I felt the full ~ of her criticism.
▪ ~ of personality , ~ of will
▪
She used her sheer ~ of personality to keep the family together.
▪ meet ~ with ~ ( esp. AmE )
▪
The country's attempts to meet ~ with ~ (= resist an attack using force) led to the outbreak of war.
▪ the use of ~
▪
The regulations allow the use of ~ if necessary.
2 effect that causes sth to move
ADJECTIVE
▪ powerful , strong
▪ weak
▪ attractive
▪ repulsive
▪ external , internal
▪
Deep internal ~s cause movements of the earth's crust.
▪ lateral
▪ centrifugal , centripetal , electromagnetic , electromotive , gravitational , mechanical , nuclear , physical , tidal
VERB + FORCE
▪ apply , exert , generate , produce
▪
The sun exerts a ~ on the earth.
▪ increase
▪ decrease , reduce
▪ balance
▪
The ~s of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.
FORCE + VERB
▪ act on sth
▪
lateral ~s acting on the car's suspension
▪ balance sth
FORCE + NOUN
▪ field
▪
the ~ field of a magnet
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ between
▪
the attractive and repulsive ~s between individual particles
PHRASES
▪ a balance of ~s
▪
the balance of nuclear ~s in atoms
▪ the ~ of gravity
3 legal authority of sth
ADJECTIVE
▪ binding , legal , statutory ( BrE )
▪
The contract was not signed and has no binding ~.
VERB + FORCE
▪ come into
▪
The new law comes into ~ as from midnight tomorrow.
▪ bring sth into ( esp. BrE )
PREPOSITION
▪ in ~
▪
Some archaic laws are still in ~.
PHRASES
▪ the ~ of law
▪
Professional standards often do not have the ~ of law (= cannot be enforced) .
4 sb/sth with power/influence
ADJECTIVE
▪ considerable , formidable , great , irresistible , major , overwhelming , potent , powerful , significant , strong , unstoppable
▪ active , controlling , dominant , driving , main , moving
▪ motivating
▪ persuasive
▪ constructive , creative , dynamic , positive , progressive
▪ destructive , disruptive , negative
▪
She was seen as a potentially disruptive ~ within the party.
▪ cohesive , unifying
▪ competitive , conflicting , countervailing , opposing , reactionary
▪ internal
▪ external , international , outside
▪
The play portrays a marriage torn apart by external ~s.
▪ invisible , unseen
▪ natural
▪
powerful natural ~s such as earthquakes and drought
▪ spiritual , supernatural
▪ dark , demonic , evil , malevolent
▪
‘There are dark ~s in the universe,’ he raved, ‘and we are powerless against them!’
▪ cultural , economic , intellectual , market , moral , political , productive , revolutionary , social
▪
powerful social and economic ~s
VERB + FORCE
▪ remain
▪
Though officially retired, she remains the creative ~ behind the design business.
▪ balance
▪
This is a politician who does not like to balance market ~s.
▪ fight
▪
to fight the ~s of evil
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ behind
▪
Local parents were the driving ~ behind the project.
▪ ~ for
▪
Competition is a ~ for change in industry.
PHRASES
▪ a balance of ~s
▪
shifts in the balance of political ~s in Europe
▪ a ~ to be reckoned with
▪
With its new players, the team is now very much a ~ to be reckoned with.
▪ the ~s of nature
5 group of people trained for a particular purpose
ADJECTIVE
▪ large
▪ small , token
▪
a token ~ of only 300 men
▪ 100-strong , etc.
▪ superior
▪ crack , elite , special
▪
These elite ~s are the best equipped and trained in the world.
▪ combined , joint
▪
the combined ~s of MI5 and Scotland Yard
▪
a joint task ~
▪ allied , coalition , multinational
▪ strategic
▪ labour/labor , sales , work (usually workforce )
▪
the US labour/labor ~
▪
the company's sales ~
▪ armed , armoured/armored , military , paramilitary
▪ government , loyal
▪ enemy , guerrilla , hostile , occupation , occupying , opposition , rebel
▪
He called on the local population to rise up against the occupying ~s.
▪ friendly
▪ regular
▪ reserve
▪ all-volunteer , volunteer
▪ conventional
▪ nuclear
▪ assault , combat , defence/defense , expeditionary , fighting , invasion , peace , peacekeeping , police , security , strike (See also task force .)
▪ air , airborne , amphibious , ground , land , naval
VERB + FORCE
▪ assemble , create , form , mobilize , set up
▪
A large expeditionary ~ is now being assembled.
▪ send
▪
the decision to send armed ~s over the border
▪ provide
▪ deploy , employ , use
▪
A small peacekeeping ~ will be deployed in the area.
▪ withdraw
▪ command , head , head up , lead
▪ join
▪
She decided to join the armed ~s.
▪ train
▪ support
▪
More troops have been called in to support the coalition ~s there.
▪ combine , join
▪
The two companies have joined ~s to form a new consortium.
FORCE + VERB
▪ control sth
▪
Rebel ~s now control most of the capital.
▪ operate
▪
UN ~s operating in the region
PREPOSITION
▪ in a/the ~
▪
people in the security ~s
PHRASES
▪ a member of a ~ , the withdrawal of a ~
▪
a deadline for the withdrawal of ~s
II.
verb
Force is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ circumstance , ↑ necessity
Force is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ cancellation , ↑ change , ↑ closure , ↑ confession , ↑ confrontation , ↑ corner , ↑ draw , ↑ employer , ↑ entry , ↑ grin , ↑ laugh , ↑ lock , ↑ passage , ↑ postponement , ↑ reappraisal , ↑ referendum , ↑ removal , ↑ replay , ↑ resignation , ↑ retirement , ↑ showdown , ↑ smile , ↑ way , ↑ window