1
as in convincing
having the power to persuade
made a compelling argument against military intervention
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
no compelling need to raise taxes at this time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in forcing
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
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Recent Examples of compelling
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 19 June 2025
Arguments for return-to-office would need to be compelling to convince voters and lawmakers that Newsom’s about-face is the better policy for the state and its workers.
—Erik Skindrud, Mercury News, 19 June 2025
Read the full story by Micah McCartney on Newsweek.
07:15 AM EDT
Israel-Iran conflict map shows how strikes are unfolding
This compelling map from Newsweek's John Feng shows where Israel and Iran have struck each other over the past few days.
—Amanda Castro
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
While chasing a stock after such a sharp move isn’t typically advisable for short-term traders, the technical set-up looks compelling from several angles.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for compelling
Adjective
McCallany has a certain tough-guy menace as Harlan, but Jake Weary’s mopey son Cane isn’t a compelling enough character to lead a show.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 19 June 2025
Arguments for return-to-office would need to be compelling to convince voters and lawmakers that Newsom’s about-face is the better policy for the state and its workers.
—Erik Skindrud, Mercury News, 19 June 2025
Read the full story by Micah McCartney on Newsweek.
07:15 AM EDT
Israel-Iran conflict map shows how strikes are unfolding
This compelling map from Newsweek's John Feng shows where Israel and Iran have struck each other over the past few days.
—Amanda Castro
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
While chasing a stock after such a sharp move isn’t typically advisable for short-term traders, the technical set-up looks compelling from several angles.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for compelling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compelling
Adjective
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Anything short of a convincing win would be a massive loss for the club.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
-
Auckland City is the reigning champion of the New Zealand National League and met the qualifying criteria in the most convincing fashion.—
James Nalton,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Too Much Going On Limits Executive Team Performance Today’s executive teams are pulled in more directions than ever—global priorities, cross-functional initiatives, urgent issues, never-ending decks.—
Elizabeth Freedman,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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In response, researchers and experts are sounding the alarm—calling for urgent, comprehensive solutions to reverse these trends and support youth wellbeing.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
The series had a rather shocking ending, and in some ways, seemed pretty conclusive.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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Those observations proved less conclusive than had been hoped, but during the rest of the voyage, Cook was able to map the coastland of New Zealand before sailing west to the southeastern coast of Australia—the first record of Europeans on the continent's Eastern coastline.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the company’s acute myeloid leukemia drug CER-1236 an orphan drug designation .—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
18 June 2025
-
With internal travel banned and markets shuttered, food shortages became acute.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
18 June 2025
Verb
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That same sentence will remain for anyone found guilty of tricking, pressuring or coercing someone into making the choice if the bill is ultimately passed.—
David Hodari,
NBC News,
29 Nov. 2024
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Pressuring or coercing someone into ending their life would be punishable by up to 14 years in prison.—
Alistair Smout,
USA TODAY,
29 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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This results in a charge imbalance that builds up an electric field strong enough to trigger flashes of lightning.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
13 Jan. 2023
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According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, strong gun control laws are correlated with fewer gun deaths.—
Elliot Hughes,
Journal Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2023
Verb
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By forcing his posts to the top of feeds, elevating like-minded voices, and driving critics off the platform, Musk revealed the raw power of ownership.—
Jackie Snow,
Quartz,
14 Apr. 2025
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So what’s driving the need for these changes?—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compelling. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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