enforced; enforcing; enforces
1
: to give force to : strengthen
2
: to urge with energy
enforce arguments
4
obsolete
: to effect or gain by force
5
: to carry out effectively
enforce laws
Examples of enforce in a Sentence
Police will be enforcing the parking ban.
the duty of the police is to enforce the law
Recent Examples on the Web
The society began assuming many of the responsibilities previously provided by the county, signing contracts with cities across the region to take in strays, help with spaying and neutering, return lost animals to their owners and enforce licensing and other rules.
—
Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2025
If the tax code is going to be enforced by machines, and the preparation calculated and handled by the same, the rules those machines follow should be legible and contestable, argues Andrew Leahey.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
The lawsuit asks the US District Court in Washington, DC, to affirm the order’s unconstitutionality and bar the Trump administration from enforcing the president’s demands that PBS be defunded.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 30 May 2025
Senate Bill 20 gives cities and counties explicit authority to pursue civil actions — like fines or lawsuits — to enforce the state’s tenant and safe-housing laws that regulate security deposits, apartment conditions, rental applications and mobile home parks.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for enforce
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2025
If the tax code is going to be enforced by machines, and the preparation calculated and handled by the same, the rules those machines follow should be legible and contestable, argues Andrew Leahey.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
The lawsuit asks the US District Court in Washington, DC, to affirm the order’s unconstitutionality and bar the Trump administration from enforcing the president’s demands that PBS be defunded.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 30 May 2025
Senate Bill 20 gives cities and counties explicit authority to pursue civil actions — like fines or lawsuits — to enforce the state’s tenant and safe-housing laws that regulate security deposits, apartment conditions, rental applications and mobile home parks.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for enforce
Cite this Entry
“Enforce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enforce. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
enforce
verb
en·force
in-ˈfō(ə)rs 
-ˈfȯ(ə)rs
1
: to bring about by force : compel
enforce obedience
2
: to carry out effectively
enforce the law
Legal Definition
enforce
transitive verb
en·force
enforced; enforcing
: to cause to take effect or to be fulfilled
enforcing the divorce decree
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation—U.S. Constitution amend. XIX
U.S. Constitution amend. XIXLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share