1 B2 idiomatic neutral
To compel a person to leave a job, position, or place against their wishes.
"The board of directors forced the CEO out after the financial scandal."
separable
force out
B2 neutral separable transitive
To compel someone or something to leave or be removed, usually against their will.
In plain English
Make someone leave a place or position by using power or pressure.
What does "force out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To push or extract something from a space using physical pressure.
"She forced the cork out of the bottle with a corkscrew."
separable
3 C1 neutral
In baseball, to put a runner out at a base because they are forced to advance.
"The first baseman caught the ball to force out the runner at first."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To use force to make something exit — relatively transparent.
Actually means
Make someone leave a place or position by using power or pressure.
Usage tip
Commonly used in political, business, and sports contexts. In baseball, 'force out' is a specific technical term when a runner is put out because the batter becomes a base runner.
Words that pair with "force out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
CEO leader rival competitor player tenant
How to conjugate "force out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
force out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
forces out
he/she/it
Past simple
forced out
yesterday
Past participle
forced out
have + pp
-ing form
forcing out
continuous
Hear "force out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "force out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.