brute force

Idioms  

1. Also, brute strength. Savage violence, unreasoning strength, as in We hope that reason will triumph over brute force. Although this expression is also used literally to mean exceptional physical power, the figurative sense reflects the origin for brute, which comes from Latin brutus, for “heavy, stupid, unreasoning.” [First half of 1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brute force

This strategy depends on intelligence rather than brute force.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026

South Africa have long relied on fast bowlers of rare quality, but this attack has evolved beyond brute force.

From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025

And by the sheer brute force of its size, bond markets force both the subjects of its wrath, and the investors that rely on them, into submission.

From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025

But then, Sorrentino conceived Pius as a conservative hardliner who would have favored brute force anyway.

From Salon ● May 10, 2025

Luckily for the circus trainer, decisions about social rank among higher animals are not al­ways based on brute force.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Related Words

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