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
Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Iranian media outlets are portraying the development as a victory for Tehran’s negotiating position, claiming that Iran’s insistence on linking progress in talks with Washington to a ceasefire in Lebanon compelled the United States and Israel to agree to a ceasefire there.
—Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
In that instance, female Republican House members — including Anna Paulina Luna, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace — kept the heat on Gonzales, and on their conference’s leaders, until the Congress member, who originally denied the affair, felt compelled to admit it and end his reelection campaign.
—Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
When the listing for the La Jolla Elementary job came up, Vogel felt compelled to apply.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Zurer says the decision came as a surprise, one the creative team felt compelled to personally explain.
—Antonio Ferme, Variety, 15 Apr. 2026
While presidents of both parties have questioned its constitutionality—and Congress has never successfully compelled a withdrawal under its provisions—the law remains a central point of reference as the deadline nears.
—Nik Popli, Time, 14 Apr. 2026
The standstill risk is just over 2% of the current stock price, and in the worst case, one might be compelled to purchase Devon at $40 (plus the $1 premium paid for the spread), or at a ~14% discount to Friday's closing price.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026
Baird said she felt compelled to write down her recipes because her kids would always ask her how to make certain things.
—Ryan Brennan
april 13, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 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
Quigley’s blood alcohol content information was not public record until it was compelled by a judge in January of this year as part of discovery in a civil lawsuit.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Iranian media outlets are portraying the development as a victory for Tehran’s negotiating position, claiming that Iran’s insistence on linking progress in talks with Washington to a ceasefire in Lebanon compelled the United States and Israel to agree to a ceasefire there.
—Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
In that instance, female Republican House members — including Anna Paulina Luna, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace — kept the heat on Gonzales, and on their conference’s leaders, until the Congress member, who originally denied the affair, felt compelled to admit it and end his reelection campaign.
—Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
When the listing for the La Jolla Elementary job came up, Vogel felt compelled to apply.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Zurer says the decision came as a surprise, one the creative team felt compelled to personally explain.
—Antonio Ferme, Variety, 15 Apr. 2026
While presidents of both parties have questioned its constitutionality—and Congress has never successfully compelled a withdrawal under its provisions—the law remains a central point of reference as the deadline nears.
—Nik Popli, Time, 14 Apr. 2026
The standstill risk is just over 2% of the current stock price, and in the worst case, one might be compelled to purchase Devon at $40 (plus the $1 premium paid for the spread), or at a ~14% discount to Friday's closing price.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026
Baird said she felt compelled to write down her recipes because her kids would always ask her how to make certain things.
—Ryan Brennan
april 13, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compelled
Adjective
-
Navarro says that when every piece of décor is in matching pairs, the space can feel forced, overly staged, and even a little sterile.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But the arc — first raising expectations for a big reveal, then declaring there was nothing to see, and ultimately a forced, flawed document dump — was a stubbornly problematic storyline that ran through her time as attorney general.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The astronauts obliged, returning detailed observations of Orientale.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Seeking an opportunity to be a full-time starter, Thompson requested a trade from the organization the following offseason, and general manager Kelly McCrimmon obliged, sending him to Washington.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The third would allow survivors of coerced debt to formally challenge such obligations with a creditor, and the last would create a program to help survivors get home security to protect themselves from future harm.—
Lauren Linder,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
And despite widespread reporting about coerced conscription in Russia, Ukraine has engaged in the same practice, with some new recruits sent to the front without adequate training.—
Olivier Kempf,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Right to counsel All of this should be unacceptable in a country that believes in the rule of law and that should be obligated to treat every person humanely.—
Erwin Chemerinsky,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
So they're getting paid for work that they're already obligated to do.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 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 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
