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
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 May 2026
After six years of my homelessness, I was compelled to acknowledge my broken self.
—Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
In each instance, the judges were unconvinced by the DOJ’s arguments that federal law compelled states to hand over the voter registration information.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 19 May 2026
That amicable relationship was on display during the party, and after seeing comments from critical fans, Cooke felt compelled to respond with the below message.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026
This being a stringent European new-music gathering, someone in the audience felt compelled to boo the intrusion of conventional harmony.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
And what happens to this data if OpenAI is acquired, breached or compelled by a foreign government?
—Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The powerful monetary incentives provided to our politicians and their PACs have compelled legislative compliance to their global agenda.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026
Nette’s support for Riggans compelled her to make the 15-hour drive from Texas to South Dakota for his graduation ceremony last weekend.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 14 May 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
But the connection that ultimately compelled him was less intellectual than physical.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 May 2026
After six years of my homelessness, I was compelled to acknowledge my broken self.
—Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
In each instance, the judges were unconvinced by the DOJ’s arguments that federal law compelled states to hand over the voter registration information.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 19 May 2026
That amicable relationship was on display during the party, and after seeing comments from critical fans, Cooke felt compelled to respond with the below message.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026
This being a stringent European new-music gathering, someone in the audience felt compelled to boo the intrusion of conventional harmony.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
And what happens to this data if OpenAI is acquired, breached or compelled by a foreign government?
—Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The powerful monetary incentives provided to our politicians and their PACs have compelled legislative compliance to their global agenda.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026
Nette’s support for Riggans compelled her to make the 15-hour drive from Texas to South Dakota for his graduation ceremony last weekend.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compelled
Adjective
-
Stephen Colbert, Letterman’s successor as host of CBS’s The Late Show for the past 11 years, is leaving his job under more forced, awkward circumstances.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
-
His wife Christine is charged with conspiracy to commit forced labor.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
Fatu challenged Reigns to Tribal Combat and the champion obliged.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
26 May 2026
-
Under the conditions of his bail, Partey is obliged to notify authorities of any plans to travel abroad.—
Jessica Hopkins,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Such coerced displacement did not — and could not — extinguish rights guaranteed by a still-valid agreement.—
Shaun Chapoose,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
-
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.—
Shahrzad Rasekh,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The loser of an arbitration can petition a judge to vacate the arbitration decision, but judges are obligated to be deferential to arbitration decisions.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
26 May 2026
-
Your bank is legally obligated to comply.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
26 May 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 30 May. 2026.
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