as in forced
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of compelled
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Shein has pulled its net-zero pledge in Germany after a local watchdog group compelled the e-tail juggernaut to substantiate its claim or drop it.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Gallagher was a player Emery had long admired and Villa felt compelled to act.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Mack says she was compelled to contact the newspaper because her Indonesian criminal defense attorney was not being paid from her trust fund as ordered.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
The popularity of online resale sites, like TheRealReal or Fashionphile, has compelled shops to rethink their pricing.
—Mari Sato The Dallas Morning News, Arkansas Online, 1 Feb. 2026
We are compelled, from the indirect astrophysical evidence and the high-quality null results from direct detection efforts, to consider it seriously.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
The Frist felt compelled to spotlight one more Nashville women artist as part of its 25th anniversary celebration.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Liberty students said they were also compelled to speak out after seeing ongoing discussions of an ICE facility potentially coming to the Kansas City area and hearing rumors of ICE agents allegedly going door-to-door in nearby Gladstone.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 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
Vietnam was inextricably linked to a wrenching era in American history, as Blacks were being compelled to fight a war on two fronts—for equality at home and a nation’s hubris abroad.
—Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Shein has pulled its net-zero pledge in Germany after a local watchdog group compelled the e-tail juggernaut to substantiate its claim or drop it.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Gallagher was a player Emery had long admired and Villa felt compelled to act.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Mack says she was compelled to contact the newspaper because her Indonesian criminal defense attorney was not being paid from her trust fund as ordered.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
The popularity of online resale sites, like TheRealReal or Fashionphile, has compelled shops to rethink their pricing.
—Mari Sato The Dallas Morning News, Arkansas Online, 1 Feb. 2026
We are compelled, from the indirect astrophysical evidence and the high-quality null results from direct detection efforts, to consider it seriously.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
The Frist felt compelled to spotlight one more Nashville women artist as part of its 25th anniversary celebration.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Liberty students said they were also compelled to speak out after seeing ongoing discussions of an ICE facility potentially coming to the Kansas City area and hearing rumors of ICE agents allegedly going door-to-door in nearby Gladstone.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compelled
Adjective
-
The result is fewer forced sales and less distressed supply.—
Bryce Erickson,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
What comes through most vividly is the sense of forced placidity, the assembly-line-like control over life and activity this country club comes to represent.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The aristocrat obliged and ordered the construction of the Duomo.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The last time Alexander had been on the show, Colbert obliged, handing him a tub of pickles to bring to his father.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Deradicalization is equally vital—not as a coerced reeducation, but as part of a healing process that encompasses Israelis as well as Palestinians.—
Samer Sinijlawi,
The Atlantic,
13 Nov. 2025
-
Prosecutors retried one of the men, John Kogut – who had made a coerced confession to the murder – but he was acquitted.—
Lauren del Valle,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Pistons are young and exceeding expectations for the second straight season, so there’s a desire to find the ceiling of this group without feeling obligated to shake up the core.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The Unified Government is not obligated to make debt service payments on the bonds, according to board documents.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Jan. 2026
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 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
