1
as in convincing
having the power to persuade
made a compelling argument against military intervention
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
no compelling need to raise taxes at this time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
public opinion compelled her to fire her scandal-plagued aide
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compelling
Cassidy Sollazzo,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
Here are some of the more compelling — and controversial — backstories from the kit designs on show in soccer’s biggest event, currently taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
—
Steve Douglas,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
The Justice Department initially said that its release, made in response to a law passed by Congress compelling the agency to disclose nearly all files related to Epstein, comprised more than 3 million pages.
—
Elliott Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compelling
Adjective
Those themes are compelling on paper, but they’re expressed through a confusing mix of abstraction and hyper-local specificity, hidden beneath biker rock riffs, and obscured through Allbrook’s wiry, wailing vocal delivery.
—
Cassidy Sollazzo,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
Here are some of the more compelling — and controversial — backstories from the kit designs on show in soccer’s biggest event, currently taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
—
Steve Douglas,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Verb
On March 17, the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena to Bondi, compelling her to sit for a deposition about the DOJ's handling of the Epstein files on April 14.
—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
The Justice Department initially said that its release, made in response to a law passed by Congress compelling the agency to disclose nearly all files related to Epstein, comprised more than 3 million pages.
—
Elliott Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compelling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compelling
Adjective
-
During its convincing 3-0 win over Haiti, which followed a 1-1 draw with Morocco, Brazil lost one of its top forwards when Raphinha sustained a hamstring injury.
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The Remi cover at the very end took a bit more convincing.
Adjective
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The cultural conversation happening here is nuanced and urgent and almost entirely invisible to the average visitor.
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The result is documentary filmmaking at its most urgent and compassionate.
Verb
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The suspects accused of plotting an attack on the UFC fight at the White House allegedly planned to deploy drones armed with explosives around the event, forcing the crowd to evacuate before they would be targeted by sniper fire, court records said.
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Croatia returned from the hydration break with determination, forcing Panama to play its game for the first time so far.
Adjective
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However, a three-judge panel selected for a legal assessment of the findings found that the investigation was not conclusive enough.
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Bartošák-Harlow said there's no conclusive evidence of who has and who has not paid a toll in the past, and there wasn't any sort of record, adding that companies should not be paying a toll for passage through an international waterway.
Adjective
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Doctors suspected acute leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer that can develop and progress in a matter of weeks.
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Combining Football Password Data The problem of using football information in passwords is even more acute when combined with other data.
Verb
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Travis Reed, who was a fire captain with the now-defunct Briar Volunteer Fire Department, admitted to coercing a minor into producing child pornography in September, according to a summary of facts in the case.
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The Justice Against Weaponized Bureaucratic Overreach to Networked Expression Act would prohibit federal agencies and employees from coercing or trying to coerce broadcasters and providers of online services or AI services into changing content.
Adjective
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Projections varied in the weeks leading up to the draft with no real consensus among draft analysts, but in the last 24 hours there were strong indications the Clippers would choose Wagler and the Nets would take Brown.
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Your desire for solitude and introspection is strong during today’s Scorpio moon.
Verb
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The Swedish parliament on Monday adopted a law obliging public sector workers to report to the police any migrants who are not authorized to live in Sweden.
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The incident triggered a fire alarm, obliging the entire French delegation — some of whom were still in their pyjamas — to evacuate the building.
Cite this Entry
“Compelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compelling. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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