The effect of cell-extrinsic and cell-intrinsic force on chromatin function and architecture over different time scales. We propose that in a high-force environment, chromatin displays both a short-term mechanoresponse (left) and long-term mechanoadaption (right). Architecturally, exogenous mechanical force induces chromatin decondensation and softening, potentially as means of dissipating mechanical stress. This is facilitated by the loss of lamin A/C-interacting, H3K9me3-marked heterochromatin and its switch to a H3K27me3-marked heterochromatin that becomes embedded within the more viscous nucleoskeleton (top panel). In addition to altering its compaction state and global architecture, chromatin can also be stretched to absorb mechanical insults or transform mechanical force into altered directional movement and repositioning of specific DNA regions in the short-term (middle left). Long-term adaptation to a persistent high-force environment likely manifests in global changes in the deformability of the chromatin fibers with increased nucleoskeleton viscosity (middle right). At the same time, a high-force environment requires a functional chromatin response at the level of transcription. Indeed, recent data indicate that force initially triggers an open state of the chromatin in the short term (bottom left), likely allowing the cells to cope with mechanical insults on short time scales, but that upon prolonged force application, global promoter silencing occurs (bottom right).