enforce
verb (used with object)
to put or keep in force; compel obedience to.
were enforcing
-
past progressiveof enforce.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A Park Police spokesman said the officers were enforcing one of the president’s executive orders, titled “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.”
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2025
“We had to come up with something that would actually make sure that we were enforcing our policies fairly,” Squyres said of the bag incentives.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2023
Stetson and other officers were enforcing a curfew the night of May 30, 2020, when his group spotted four people in a parking lot.
From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2023
In a joint statement, church leaders said the Israeli authorities were "enforcing unreasonable, and unprecedented restrictions on access to the Holy Sepulchre - more so than last year".
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2023
Appreciation of his value was coming rapidly, and events were enforcing his teachings.
From An American Idyll The Life of Carleton H. Parker by Cornelia Stratton Parker
