The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word COERCION
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
C
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Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Force" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case force = coercion.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does COERCION mean?
COERCION noun- (not countable) Actual or threatened force for the purpose of compelling action by another person; the act of coercing.
- (not countable) Use of physical or moral force to compel a person to do something, or to abstain from doing something, thereby depriving that person of the exercise of free will.
- A specific instance of coercing.
- Conversion of a value of one data type to a value of another data type.
- The process by which the meaning of a word or other linguistic element is reinterpreted to match the grammatical context.