1
as in convincing
having the power to persuade
made a compelling argument against military intervention
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
no compelling need to raise taxes at this time
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples of compelling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dan Heching, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024
This groundbreaking indie proves that a talented filmmaker can tell a compelling story, even with limited resources.
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2024
The image of Harris the prosecutor taking on Trump the felon is a compelling one, but the attendant hazard is his knack for presenting himself as a martyr.
—Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2024
Edgerton does an expert job of drawing out the tension of this compelling story, opting for minimalist storytelling that doesn’t rely on overt exposition or flashy set pieces, that chooses to focus on the characters and their moral ambiguity.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for compelling 
Adjective
Ripley This visually compelling black-and-white retelling of the chilling Patricia Highsmith story follows a morally corrupt grifter who ingratiates himself in the ritzy lifestyle of an unsuspecting playboy in Italy – and commits murder to stay there.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024
This groundbreaking indie proves that a talented filmmaker can tell a compelling story, even with limited resources.
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2024
The image of Harris the prosecutor taking on Trump the felon is a compelling one, but the attendant hazard is his knack for presenting himself as a martyr.
—Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2024
Edgerton does an expert job of drawing out the tension of this compelling story, opting for minimalist storytelling that doesn’t rely on overt exposition or flashy set pieces, that chooses to focus on the characters and their moral ambiguity.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for compelling
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'compelling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near compelling
Cite this Entry
“Compelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compelling. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
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