by force of

English

Preposition

by force of

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    The enemy army was extinguished by force of numbers only.
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “j”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XV:
      And thenne he asked leue & wente oute of his heremytage for to mayntene his neuewe ageynst the myghty Erle and so hit happed that this man that lyeth here dede dyd so moche by his wysedome and hardynes that the Erle was take and thre of his lordes by force of this dede man.
      "And then he asked leave, and went out of his hermitage for to maintain his nephew against the mighty earl; and so it happed that this man that lieth here dead did so much by his wisdom and hardiness that the earl was taken, and three of his lords, by force of this dead man."
    • 1774, [John] Maclaurin, “Introduction to the Criminal Cases”, in Arguments, and Decisions, in Remarkable Cases, before the High Court of Justiciary, and Other Supreme Courts, in Scotland, Edinburgh: Printed for J. Bell, […]; London: E. & C. Dilly, […], →OCLC, § 9 (Of the Torture), page xxxvi:
      On the 24th June 1596, John Stewart, Maſter of Orkney, was indicted for conſulting with Aliſon Balfour, a witch, for the deſtruction of Patrick Earl of Orkney, his brother, by poiſon.— [...] No regard can be had to it, in reſpect the ſaid confeſſion was extorted by force of torment
    • 2025 April 21, Peter Stanford, “Pope Francis obituary”, in The Guardian‎[1]:
      By force of personality, and his evident sincerity, modesty and warmth, Francis persuaded most Catholics to root for him, whatever his errors, and so did better than most of the successors of Saint Peter.

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