as in forced
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as in obliged
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
public opinion compelled her to fire her scandal-plagued aide
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Recent Examples of compelled
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
27 June 2026
In the modern admissions process, particularly at selective schools, students are compelled to conflate their self-worth with their ability to package themselves as marketable products.
—
Scott White,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Zuko has been wanting to help people throughout the season — even masquerading as the Blue Spirit — with the guidance of his uncle Iroh (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), but still feels compelled toward his father.
—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
But some reporters seem compelled to resurrect its ghost to justify to fewer and fewer peers their bootstrapped existence.
—
Gary Grasso,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2026
In the Victorian-era horror-revenge film, now available on VOD via Dark Sky Films and Watermelon Pictures, Mārama (Ariāna Osborne) is a young Māori woman compelled to travel from New Zealand to England with the promise of information about her heritage.
—
William Earl,
Variety,
26 June 2026
The move could lead to a larger showdown that could increase prices and hinder economic growth, possibly setting off a larger trade war if the 27-member European Union was compelled to retaliate.
—
ABC News,
26 June 2026
Iranian state television duly presented the agreement as proof that Iran had compelled America to accept its conditions, which helps explain the alarm in Israel and among Washington's hawks.
—
Hamidreza Azizi,
Time,
19 June 2026
French Montana felt compelled to step in.
—
Kelsie Hoffman,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
True personal data sovereignty requires systems that make compelled access technically impossible, not merely contractually discouraged.
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
In May, Jolie scored a victory of her own when Judge Pánuco determined that she was not required to provide Pitt's attorneys with access to 22 unredacted emails after previous rulings compelled her legal team to do so.
—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
27 June 2026
In the modern admissions process, particularly at selective schools, students are compelled to conflate their self-worth with their ability to package themselves as marketable products.
—
Scott White,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Zuko has been wanting to help people throughout the season — even masquerading as the Blue Spirit — with the guidance of his uncle Iroh (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), but still feels compelled toward his father.
—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
But some reporters seem compelled to resurrect its ghost to justify to fewer and fewer peers their bootstrapped existence.
—
Gary Grasso,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2026
In the Victorian-era horror-revenge film, now available on VOD via Dark Sky Films and Watermelon Pictures, Mārama (Ariāna Osborne) is a young Māori woman compelled to travel from New Zealand to England with the promise of information about her heritage.
—
William Earl,
Variety,
26 June 2026
The move could lead to a larger showdown that could increase prices and hinder economic growth, possibly setting off a larger trade war if the 27-member European Union was compelled to retaliate.
—
ABC News,
26 June 2026
Iranian state television duly presented the agreement as proof that Iran had compelled America to accept its conditions, which helps explain the alarm in Israel and among Washington's hawks.
—
Hamidreza Azizi,
Time,
19 June 2026
French Montana felt compelled to step in.
—
Kelsie Hoffman,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compelled
Adjective
-
There is a major difference between price weakness caused by deteriorating fundamentals and price weakness caused by forced or indifferent selling.
-
Brazil, facing mounting economic pressure from the United States, is fast-tracking a decade-old legislative proposal to block imports of goods made with forced, compulsory or child labor.
Verb
-
You are not obliged to use AI for everything.
-
His status as the game’s best secure, Messi lifted the trophy in a bisht that had been placed upon him — obliged to share his greatest triumph with the geopolitical forces that had brought the World Cup to the Middle East for the first time.
Adjective
-
Such coerced displacement did not — and could not — extinguish rights guaranteed by a still-valid agreement.
-
Russia has targeted the children through coerced adoption and family separation, forcing them to speak the Russian language and take on its cultural identity and customs — what’s known as Russification.
Verb
-
Clients should understand whether the advisor is legally obligated to put their interests first, how conflicts are disclosed and whether recommendations are shaped by commissions, proprietary products or outside incentives.
-
For example, a surviving joint account holder may remain responsible for paying the balance because they were already legally obligated on the account.
Adjective
-
Traffic stops represent the most common nonvoluntary interaction between citizens and police officers in the U.S.
-
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.
Cite this Entry
“Compelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compelled. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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