force entry

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "force entry" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in contexts involving unauthorized access, such as breaking into a property or system. Example: "The police had to force entry into the building to apprehend the suspect."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

41 human-written examples

"We did not force entry into the bathroom, nor did we ever enter the bathroom.

The Guardian - Sport

Only after they called in firefighters to force entry did he emerge.

The Washington Post

Moreover, the inspector has no power to force entry and did not attempt it.

Cornell University

According to the subsequent police report, a woman called to report two black men trying to force entry.

The New York Times

An armed raid following a car bomb to force entry into fortified buildings has become a trademark tactic of the group.

The Guardian

"The situation is infinitely more intimidating now than it used to be, when we could tell debtors that bailiffs had no legal right to force entry.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

19 human-written examples

This childlessness, she says, is not a choice (only 14percentt chose not to have children) but an unintended side effect of women's full-force entry into the workplace.

The New York Times

Forced entry?

The New York Times

They found no sign of forced entry.

Independent

There was no sign of forced entry.

The New York Times

No sign of forced entry, no clues.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Reserve this phrase for formal reports, news articles or legal contexts where precision about the method of entry is required.

Common error

Avoid using "force entry" as a noun when you mean the result of the action. If a window was broken, the police found signs of "forced entry" (adjective + noun), not "force entry" (verb). Conversely, use the base form when describing the action itself, such as "the firefighters had to force entry".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "force entry" acts as a transitive verb phrase composed of the verb "force" and the noun "entry" acting as its direct object. In many Ludwig examples, it appears as a base infinitive after the particle "to", describing an intentional action by police, protesters or emergency services.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

15%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

According to Ludwig AI, the phrase "force entry" is a correct and widely used expression in written English, particularly within the domains of journalism, law enforcement and social science. It denotes the act of gaining access to a restricted area through physical power or tools. While it is often used as a verb phrase to describe an active effort, users should be careful to distinguish it from the noun phrase "forced entry", which refers to the resulting evidence of such an act. The data from Ludwig shows that the phrase is most prevalent in high-authority news outlets when reporting on police actions, protests or criminal investigations. It provides a more precise and formal tone than the colloquial "break in" and is a reliable choice for professional writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

break in

More informal and common in everyday speech

gain access

A more neutral or technical alternative often used for digital or physical systems

gain unauthorized entry

A formal and legalistic variation

forced entry

The noun form used to describe the result or evidence of the act

forced their way in

Emphasizes the physical struggle or crowd movement

intrude

Focuses more on the violation of privacy or unwanted presence

breach security

Specifically implies bypassing a protective barrier or system

trespass

Refers to the legal violation of being on land without right

infiltrate

Implies a more secretive or subversive method of entry

barge in

Highly informal and suggests a lack of manners or sudden movement

FAQs

How to use "force entry" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a physical breakthrough, such as: "The emergency responders had to "force entry" through the back door to reach the patient".

What can I say instead of "force entry"?

Common alternatives include "break in", "gain access" or "intrude" depending on the formality of your writing.

Is it "force entry" or "forced entry"?

Both are correct but serve different functions. Use ""force entry"" as an action (verb) and "forced entry" as a description or noun phrase (e.g. "there were no signs of forced entry").

What is the difference between "force entry" and "break in"?

While "break in" is more common in casual conversation, ""force entry"" is preferred in journalistic and legal contexts to describe the use of physical power to bypass a lock.