Atomic stabilization is a universal phenomenon that occurs when atoms
interact with intense and high-frequency laser fields. In this work, we
systematically study the influence of the ponderomotive (PM) force, present
around the laser focus, on atomic stabilization. We show that the PM force
could induce tunneling and even over-barrier ionization to the otherwise
stabilized atoms. Such effect may overweight the typical multiphoton ionization
under moderate laser intensities. Our work highlights the importance of an
improved treatment of atomic stabilization that includes the influence of the
PM force