Он был вынужден уйти раньше.

Russian usually omits to be only in the present tense.

• Он вынужден уйти раньше = He is forced / has to leave early
• Он был вынужден уйти раньше = He was forced / had to leave early

So был is needed because the sentence is in the past tense.

Вынужден is the short form of вынужденный, and it means forced, compelled, or obliged by circumstances.

In this sentence, it works like a predicate:

• Он был вынужден... = He was forced to...

This short form is very common after forms of быть:

• Я вынужден
• Она вынуждена
• Они вынуждены

Russian often uses the short form of adjectives/participles after to be when describing someone’s state.

So:

• Он был вынужден уйти = correct, natural
• Он был вынужденный = not right in this meaning

Use the short form for the idea was forced / was obliged.

Уйти is perfective, while уходить is imperfective.

Here the sentence refers to one completed action: he left, or had to leave, at some point earlier than expected. That is why уйти is natural.

• уйти = to leave, to go away (as a single completed event)
• уходить = to be leaving / to leave regularly / to leave in process

So был вынужден уйти means he was forced to actually leave.

Here раньше is an adverb meaning earlier.

So:

• уйти раньше = to leave earlier

It usually implies earlier than expected, earlier than planned, or earlier than someone else depending on context.

Both can relate to time, but they are not the same.

• рано = early
• раньше = earlier

Compare:

• Он ушёл рано = He left early.
• Он ушёл раньше = He left earlier.

In your sentence, раньше suggests comparison: earlier than planned, earlier than usual, earlier than others, etc.

It can mean both, depending on context.

Был вынужден is a bit stronger than plain had to. It often suggests:

• external circumstances
• pressure
• necessity he did not want

So the feeling is often closer to:

• He was forced to leave early
• He had no choice but to leave early

Yes. That word order is also correct.

Two common versions are:

• Он был вынужден уйти раньше
• Он вынужден был уйти раньше

Both mean the same thing. The difference is mostly one of style, rhythm, or focus, not basic meaning.

It agrees with the subject.

• Он был вынужден = masculine
• Она была вынуждена = feminine
• Оно было вынуждено = neuter
• Они были вынуждены = plural

So the form вынужден is masculine singular because the subject is он.

The normal negation is:

• Он не был вынужден уйти раньше = He was not forced to leave early

Be careful not to confuse that with negating the infinitive:

• Он был вынужден не уйти... would mean He was forced not to leave...

So:

• не был вынужден = was not forced
• вынужден не уйти = was forced not to leave

Yes, usually a little.

Compare:

• Он был вынужден уйти раньше = He was forced / compelled to leave early
• Ему пришлось уйти раньше = He had to leave early

Пришлось is very common and often more conversational.
Был вынужден can sound slightly more formal or stronger, as if emphasizing necessity or lack of choice.

Sometimes yes, if the subject is already clear from context.

For example, in a story:

• Был вынужден уйти раньше.

This can work if everyone already knows who is being talked about. But on its own, Russian usually keeps он for clarity.

It breaks down like this:

• Он = he
• был = was
• вынужден = forced / compelled
• уйти = to leave
• раньше = earlier

So the pattern is:

subject + past tense of быть + short-form predicate + infinitive + adverb

A very useful model is:

• Я был вынужден ждать.
• Она была вынуждена отказаться.
• Они были вынуждены вернуться.