This is the 15757th most frequent German word.
zwingen
"Zwingen" means "to force" or "to compel."
The verb 'zwingen' is used here to indicate compelling someone to perform an action against their will.
Ich musste ihn dazu zwingen, seine Hausaufgaben zu machen.
I had to force him to do his homework.
'Zwingen' refers to the situation leading to an unavoidable decision.
Die schwierige Situation zwang sie, schnell eine Entscheidung zu treffen.
The difficult situation forced her to make a decision quickly.
This portrays 'zwingen' as influenced by external pressures directly impacting a choice.