as in obsessive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge
his compulsive clowning around can sometimes be annoying
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Recent Examples of compulsive
For some with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), they may be distressed by the prospect of germs or how foods are prepared.
—
Dr. Ellen S. Rome, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
That recklessly exuberant 2019 drama, which Safdie co-directed with his brother, Benny, stars Adam Sandler as a jewelry dealer in Manhattan and a compulsive gambler who takes thrilling risks to pay off his creditors and learns that the house always wins.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Missouri will tax sports betting at 10% with revenue first going to the Missouri Gaming Commission to pay for expenses to regulate sports gambling and $5 million allocated to a fund intended to help prevent compulsive gambling.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Nov. 2025
Polish doctors urged further investigation into compulsive frotteurs.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsive
Dr. Ellen S. Rome, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
That recklessly exuberant 2019 drama, which Safdie co-directed with his brother, Benny, stars Adam Sandler as a jewelry dealer in Manhattan and a compulsive gambler who takes thrilling risks to pay off his creditors and learns that the house always wins.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Missouri will tax sports betting at 10% with revenue first going to the Missouri Gaming Commission to pay for expenses to regulate sports gambling and $5 million allocated to a fund intended to help prevent compulsive gambling.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Nov. 2025
Polish doctors urged further investigation into compulsive frotteurs.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsive
Adjective
-
Extreme deficits may lead to obsessive food tracking, anxiety around eating, or disordered eating patterns.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Any new publication of hers is mandatory reading, and not just because transgender Americans are under an obsessive, incessant series of assaults from the current administration and the right more broadly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Your impulsive actions might disrupt something.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
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While genuinely intrigued by Lucy, his inconsistency and impulsive reactions complicate their relationship, which was already competing with the lingering shadow of Stephen.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsive. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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