force

/fɔːs/ verb [T]

Definition

› to make a person or an organization do something that they do not want to do: force sb/sth to do sth The arrival of the new supermarket has forced local businesses to raise their wages to compete.force sb/sth into sth Heavy law school debt frequently forces graduates into high-paying jobs at private firms, where intense deadlines and grinding hours are routine.force sb/sth into doing sth Customers are being forced into banking by phone or over the internet.

› to make something happen, especially something that people do not want to happen: The economic slowdown has forced a second week of temporary closure. The government threatened to force an agreement between banks and retailers for a new system.

force sb's hand › to make someone do something they do not want to do or do something sooner than they had intended: The changing dynamics of the diamond business are beginning to force the company's hand.

(Definition of force verb from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)