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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in forced
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Recent Examples of compelled
Will Ripley, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
The film, which screenwriter Rowan Joffé adapted from a 2014 novel of the same name by Lawrence Osborne, seems aware of the orientalist mustiness of this premise without being compelled to subvert it in any meaningful way.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Such an ambitious agenda assumes a counterpart who is either inclined or compelled to cooperate.
—Neil Thomas, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Guy said she was compelled to run after finding out Grossbard would be the only one on the ballot.
—Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 29 Oct. 2025
This subspecialty—which for years compelled surgeons to seek training abroad—can now be pursued in Colombia under international standards.
—Dr. Victor Raúl Castillo Mantilla, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
The abrupt cutoff exposed the fragility of long-term autism care and compelled her to envision a model that extended comprehensive care through the teenage years.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Earlier this month, Harrison told officials at public media stations receiving a final round of federal grants that she would be compelled to reveal unflattering critiques of NPR's leadership as a result of the litigation.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 27 Oct. 2025
More military clashes occurred in 1503 and 1504, and these saw numerous chiefs captured, assigned to Spanish settlers, and compelled to labor in the construction of towns.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
North Korea simply may no longer feel strongly compelled to say yes.
—Will Ripley, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
The film, which screenwriter Rowan Joffé adapted from a 2014 novel of the same name by Lawrence Osborne, seems aware of the orientalist mustiness of this premise without being compelled to subvert it in any meaningful way.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Such an ambitious agenda assumes a counterpart who is either inclined or compelled to cooperate.
—Neil Thomas, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Guy said she was compelled to run after finding out Grossbard would be the only one on the ballot.
—Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 29 Oct. 2025
This subspecialty—which for years compelled surgeons to seek training abroad—can now be pursued in Colombia under international standards.
—Dr. Victor Raúl Castillo Mantilla, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
The abrupt cutoff exposed the fragility of long-term autism care and compelled her to envision a model that extended comprehensive care through the teenage years.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Earlier this month, Harrison told officials at public media stations receiving a final round of federal grants that she would be compelled to reveal unflattering critiques of NPR's leadership as a result of the litigation.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 27 Oct. 2025
More military clashes occurred in 1503 and 1504, and these saw numerous chiefs captured, assigned to Spanish settlers, and compelled to labor in the construction of towns.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compelled
Verb
-
Follow what feels fun and freeing, not forced.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
In 2021, the state implemented several new and stricter penalties for hazing after 19-year-old Timothy Piazza, a New Jersey resident, died after being forced to drink copious amounts of alcohol while attending Penn State University.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Winters writes that this initial system of coerced labor didn’t go very well for the elites.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Fans chanted for Lo LaBonta to come on, and Hayes obliged in the 67th minute, bringing the KC Current captain on for Lily Yohannes.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Member nations are collectively obliged to respond to attacks on other alliance nations under Article 5 of the founding treaty.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Nessel and officials with the other states argue the agency is legally obligated to use contingency funds and other means in its control to cover SNAP benefits, which provide food assistance in the form of funds made available to low-income individuals and families via benefit cards.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The president is not obligated to follow the CFA's recommendation.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
29 Oct. 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 2 Nov. 2025.
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