ADJ
- considerable, great, terrible, tremendous
- full, maximum
- brute, sheer
- reasonable
- sufficient
- excessive
- unlawful
- deadly, lethal
- explosive
- physical
- gale
- The wind was increasing to gale force
VERB + FORCE
- resort to, use
- In the end, we had to resort to brute force to get the door open
- take sth by
- The troops marched in and took the city by force
- feel
- Even the opposition MPs felt the force of the prime minister's argument
PREP
- by ~
- The king made laws and imposed them by force
PHRASES
- catch/experience/feel/meet/take the full force of sth
- Our shop took the full force of the bomb blast. I felt the full force of her criticism
- meet force with force
- The country's attempts to meet force with force (= resist an attack using force) led to the outbreak of war
- the use of force
- The regulations allow the use of force if necessary
ADJ
- powerful, strong
- weak
- attractive
- repulsive
- balanced
- external, internal
- Deep internal forces cause movements of the earth's crust
- lateral
- centrifugal, centripetal, electromagnetic, electromotive, gravitational, mechanical, nuclear, tidal
- binding, legal, statutory
- The contract was not signed and has no binding force
VERB + FORCE
- exert
- The sun exerts a force on the earth
- increase
- decrease
- balance
- The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction
- come into
- The new law comes into force as from midnight tomorrow
- bring sth into
FORCE + NOUN
- field
- the force field of a magnet (figurative) It was as if an invisible force field kept us apart
PREP
- ~ between
- the attractive and repulsive forces between individual particles
- in ~
- Some laws relating to obsolete customs are still in force
PHRASES
- a balance of forces
- the balance of nuclear forces in atoms
- the force of gravity3 authority of sth
- the force of law
- Professional standards often do not have the force of law (= cannot be enforced)
ADJ
- considerable, formidable, great, irresistible, major, overwhelming, potent, powerful, significant, strong
- active, controlling, dominant, driving, moving
- motivating
- persuasive
- constructive, creative, dynamic, positive, progressive
- destructive, disruptive, negative, subversive
- She was seen as a potentially subversive force within the party
- cohesive, unifying
- competitive, conflicting, countervailing, reactionary
- internal
- external, international, outside
- The play portrays a marriage torn apart by external forces
- natural
- powerful natural forces such as earthquakes and drought
- spiritual, supernatural
- dark, demonic, evil, malevolent
- ' There are dark forces in the universe, 'he raved,' and we are powerless against them! '
- cultural, economic, intellectual, market, moral, political, productive, revolutionary, social
- powerful social and economic forces
VERB + FORCE
- remain
- Though officially retired, she remains the creative force behind the design business
- balance
- This is a politician who does not like to balance market forces
PREP
- ~ behind
- Local parents were the driving force behind the project
- ~ for
- Competition is a force for change in industry
PHRASES
- a balance of forces
- shifts in the balance of political forces in Europe
- a force to be reckoned with
- With its new players, the team is now very much a force to be reckoned with
ADJ
- large
- small, token
- a token force of only 300 men
- 100-strong, etc.
- crack, elite, special
- These elite forces are the best equipped and trained in the world
- combined, joint
- the combined forces of MI5 and Scotland Yard a joint task force
- allied, coalition, multinational
- strategic
- labour, sales
- a company's labour force the country's labour force
- armed, military, paramilitary
- government, loyal
- enemy, guerrilla, hostile, occupying, opposition, rebel
- regular
- reserve
- volunteer
- conventional
- nuclear
- assault, defence, 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 force is now being assembled
- send
- the decision to send armed forces over the border
- deploy, use
- A small peacekeeping force will be deployed in the area
- withdraw
- demobilize
- command, head (up), lead
- join
- She decided to join the armed forces
- combine, join
- The two companies have joined forces to form a new consortium
FORCE + VERB
- control sth
- Rebel forces now control most of the capital
PREP
- in a/the ~
- people in the security forces
PHRASES
- a member of a force, the withdrawal of a force
- a UN deadline for the withdrawal of forces