as in obsessive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge
his compulsive clowning around can sometimes be annoying
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compulsive
Nilsson admits to suffering from horror vacui—a fear of empty space, which in her case reads less like a neurotic affliction than like compulsive conviviality.
—
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Platforms will be required to introduce safety-by-design features, including protections against manipulative design that encourages compulsive use, and take action against underage accounts and harmful content.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
My obsessions surrounding her care, health, and well-being were funneled into a compulsive use of the app.
—Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 22 May 2026
Together, those findings point to a job search environment where expectations are high, confidence is fragile and pressure can push candidates toward compulsive applying.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for compulsive
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Platforms will be required to introduce safety-by-design features, including protections against manipulative design that encourages compulsive use, and take action against underage accounts and harmful content.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
My obsessions surrounding her care, health, and well-being were funneled into a compulsive use of the app.
—Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 22 May 2026
Together, those findings point to a job search environment where expectations are high, confidence is fragile and pressure can push candidates toward compulsive applying.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for compulsive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsive
Adjective
-
It is developed over a period of years by obsessive geniuses who are optimizing for beauty and functionality (possibly on a gorgeous corporate campus in California).—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
-
Season 4 focused on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito from the safety of the Navajo Nation to the gritty terrain of 1970s Los Angeles in a race against the clock to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
And then there may be actual fraud — unlawful acts whether premeditated or impulsive.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
7 Dec. 2025
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Interactions with the state do not have foregone conclusions—citizens still operate as individuals and make impulsive, sometimes self-sabotaging decisions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsive. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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