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
And that compulsion — a genuine, profound desire to share her findings with the world — makes for a classic, stick-to-your ribs documentary experience about a fascinating person.
—
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
However, there is considerable compulsion to open it sooner rather than later.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Instead of the bright colors and satisfying crunch sounds that accompany influencers’ recipe videos on Instagram, food is shot as if through Maddie’s eyes, as objects of shameful compulsion.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025
This compulsion to celebrate himself in general, and to celebrate such a juvenile, harmless gesture in particular, should be yet another reason to lose all patience with Lee Raybon.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
However, there is considerable compulsion to open it sooner rather than later.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Instead of the bright colors and satisfying crunch sounds that accompany influencers’ recipe videos on Instagram, food is shot as if through Maddie’s eyes, as objects of shameful compulsion.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025
This compulsion to celebrate himself in general, and to celebrate such a juvenile, harmless gesture in particular, should be yet another reason to lose all patience with Lee Raybon.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
Noun
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Hold for 30-60 seconds, focusing on keeping pressure in the midfoot and the knee aligned with your toes.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
31 Oct. 2025
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There's certainly already a lot of pressure on the series adaptation.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Given a series of intra-quarter checks around build rates and promotional activity that suggested strong demand, constraints appear have pushed some sale into the Dec qtr with the company expecting iPhone rev to be up ‘double-digits’ with constraints spilling into the Dec qtr as well.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
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The hope is that, armed with new technology, that decline of foreign aid serves a rallying call that compels African countries to forge their own paths, free from the constraints of aid dependency and external policy pressures.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ventura maintained in her testimony that at times she was made to attend these events via coercion and blackmail, claims Combs has denied and was not found guilty of during his trial.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
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Takaichi, a longtime China hawk, has criticized Beijing’s military expansion and economic coercion for years.—
Betsy Klein,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And with the 2026 midterms looming, some experts worry Guard troops could even be used as a tool of systemic voter suppression and intimidation.—
Kat Lonsdorf,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
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Church members reported an uptick in harassment and intimidation.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As Ali and her brother hid under a blanket, violence exploded around them.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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Jackson imagined the Shire as idyllic beyond measure — cozy cottages dug into the landscape's gentle green slopes, totally free of the conflict and violence that the saga's Hobbit quartet eventually learn lie just beyond its borders.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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