blunt force

American  

[bluhnt fawrs] / ˈblʌnt ˈfɔrs /

noun

1. the force of an impact to the body, such as from a collision, weapon, etc., that does not penetrate beneath the skin but may nonetheless cause serious internal or surface injury.

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Example Sentences

America has to find a way to restart diplomacy, using soft power and persuasion more often than the blunt force of tariffs or threat of conflict with key partners.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

Some people are not just living with loss but also trying to create or experience something meaningful, to counter the blunt force of the ache.

From New York Times • May 25, 2024

He added that workers would struggle to bridge the joints in the planes' mechanisms, and would sometimes use blunt force.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2024

The Los Angeles County medical examiner has ruled a 16-year-old girl’s death from blunt force head trauma an accident, raising questions from her family about how thorough and conclusive officials have been with the case.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2024

Harris argued that the top-down influence of parents is overwhelmed by the grassroots effect of peer pressure, the blunt force applied each day by friends and schoolmates.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt