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
-
Thankfully, Sedgwick and Bacon don’t just rely on their natural ease with one another, but infuse their characters with something real, even though the circumstances that bring them together feel somewhat forced.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
10 June 2025
-
This feels a bit forced and corny, and the director becomes even more outlandish depicting Maggi’s dreams as their relationship feels fully unsalvageable: a rooster disturbs him in real life, then visits him in giant, anthropomorphized form in his dream to injure him or worse.—
David Katz,
IndieWire,
18 May 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 10 Jul. 2025.
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