as in obliged
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
public opinion compelled her to fire her scandal-plagued aide
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in forced
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compelled
Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
Without China making the first move, Chinese firms will be compelled by genuine market forces rather than often heavy-handed and inefficient state mandates to realize Xi’s vision.
—Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
If granted, Lindell will be compelled to submit the financial records or face contempt of court.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
The pandemic compelled universities to invest significantly in digital tools and technology to facilitate remote learning.
—Joe Way, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
For example, some of the world’s biggest shipping companies were compelled to divert in costly detours after the Yemeni Houthi group attacked ships heading toward Israeli ports.
—Pushkar Mukewar, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
The measure builds upon Australia’s 2021 News Media Bargaining Code, which originally compelled tech companies to establish revenue-sharing arrangements with local media organizations.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024
Last December, Gomez felt compelled to publicly defend her then-six-month relationship to online naysayers.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Punjabi finished a bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance in 1993, only to be compelled to find a job outside the film industry, which had been hard hit by an economic downturn.
—Gloria Haraito, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
The bipartisan vote for release marks a significant shift, as Republicans in the full House had previously blocked two Democratic resolutions that would have compelled the report's release.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
Without China making the first move, Chinese firms will be compelled by genuine market forces rather than often heavy-handed and inefficient state mandates to realize Xi’s vision.
—Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
If granted, Lindell will be compelled to submit the financial records or face contempt of court.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
The pandemic compelled universities to invest significantly in digital tools and technology to facilitate remote learning.
—Joe Way, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
For example, some of the world’s biggest shipping companies were compelled to divert in costly detours after the Yemeni Houthi group attacked ships heading toward Israeli ports.
—Pushkar Mukewar, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
The measure builds upon Australia’s 2021 News Media Bargaining Code, which originally compelled tech companies to establish revenue-sharing arrangements with local media organizations.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024
Last December, Gomez felt compelled to publicly defend her then-six-month relationship to online naysayers.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Punjabi finished a bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance in 1993, only to be compelled to find a job outside the film industry, which had been hard hit by an economic downturn.
—Gloria Haraito, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compelled
Adjective
-
His numbers from last season: 39 QB pressures, 31 tackles, eight TFLs, seven sacks and five forced fumbles.—
Manny Navarro,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
-
Both ByteDance and China have long been opposed to a forced sale, with the Chinese commerce ministry insisting that China must sign off on any sale that includes TikTok's algorithm, since that would be considered an export of Chinese technology.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Willard obliged, giving the soon-to-be NBA draft pick the team’s final shot.—
Bennett Conlin,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Whether the head coach truly obliged Fudd’s request remains a point of contention.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
While Gastineau suggests the omission of his alleged handshake with Favre alters the analysis, a film company isn’t obligated to show the entirety of an event.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
14 Mar. 2025
-
But negative guidance from the CDC may affect insurance coverage because insurers are only obligated to cover vaccines that have been recommended by the agency.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Traffic stops represent the most common nonvoluntary interaction between citizens and police officers in the U.S.—
Derek Epp,
The Conversation,
3 Feb. 2023
-
Of the 59 CEOs who departed S&P 500 firms last year, 30.5% were let go on a nonvoluntary basis, up from 22.1% in 2017, according to the Conference Board's 2019 CEO Succession Practices report.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Compelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compelled. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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