as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
in that class I read books under compulsion that I ordinarily wouldn't have considered
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Recent Examples of compulsion
Written by Mescudi, Doe explores themes of addiction and survival through the lens of a man living on the streets of Hollywood who, over the course of 24 hours, drifts through a series of encounters that pull him in and out of the cycles of his compulsion.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
Discipline, toughness, perfect technique, a nutty compulsion to conquer the world’s most inhospitable bodies of water?
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
When someone feels the compulsion to constantly bring it up for another 30 years is a sign that something could be wrong with their capacity to reason maturely.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Christgau has 14,000 reviews and counting, and that’s his glory and his compulsion.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
Discipline, toughness, perfect technique, a nutty compulsion to conquer the world’s most inhospitable bodies of water?
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
When someone feels the compulsion to constantly bring it up for another 30 years is a sign that something could be wrong with their capacity to reason maturely.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Christgau has 14,000 reviews and counting, and that’s his glory and his compulsion.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
Noun
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The pressure is on Houston to come back.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The Moon’s square to Mars can bring quick irritation or pressure to act too fast, especially in conversations.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Putting aside any adults-only constraint, that principle also would be in effect, even when kids might pass by that book sitting on that shelf.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
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As noted in a report from TWZ, the aircraft’s proportions indicate it is sized to fit within the constraints of a supercarrier deck while carrying a substantial weapons load.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The lawyers also argue that Combs' sentence was too harsh, saying the trial judge wrongly based it in part on a conclusion that the crimes involved fraud and coercion and that Combs was a leader or organizer of criminal activity.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Through favors and coercion, both couples vie for the approval of the elitist club’s billionaire owner, Chairwoman Park (Youn Yuh Jung), who struggles to manage her own scandal involving her second husband, Doctor Kim (Song Kang Ho).—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Following mounting pressure from Russian law enforcement and escalating political intimidation, Allakhverdiyeva ultimately fled to Berlin.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
10 Apr. 2026
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Tramell McHenry, 18, is charged with murder, auto theft and intimidation.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Esther says Kim told her that, at times, that need for control boiled over into violence.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Emmline Toussaint, main coordinator of Mary’s Meals' BND school-feeding program in Haiti, said that gas stations in some regions are selling fuel 25% to 30% higher than even what the government stipulated because of gang violence and difficulties with trucks trying to access certain areas.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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