compelling 1 of 2

adjective

kəm-ˈpe-liŋ How to pronounce compelling (audio)
Definition of compellingnext
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

compelling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of compel
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

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 compelling
Adjective
What may be more compelling, though, is HPV testing using menstrual blood; currently, testing requires an in-person evaluation with a speculum which many are uncomfortable with. — Fiorella Valdesolo, Allure, 30 Oct. 2026 The pitch that actually lands is the human story, the one about someone else’s problem getting solved in a compelling way. — Olivia Ludington, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Verb
Agents instead went to several reporters' homes on the night of Friday, July 10 - just two days after the first story was published - with subpoenas compelling their testimony before a grand jury. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 23 July 2026 Cruise portrays Digger Rockwell, an eccentric oil magnate whose decisions put the world on the brink of catastrophe, ultimately compelling him to embark on an improbable mission to rescue humanity. — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for compelling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compelling
  1. convincing
  2. urgent
  3. forcing
  4. conclusive
  5. acute
  6. coercing
  7. strong
  8. obliging
Adjective
  • Despite its sweeping celestial setting, the whole series was constrained, relying on face-to-face conversations in tiny offices to convey plot, and action scenes that often looked like scuffles in a blocky, dark, half-convincing cave.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • If wearing jeans on the plane seems like a hard sell, wearing white jeans on the plane may take even more convincing—but according to Fass, the look needn’t be high-maintenance.
    — Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of convincing
Adjective
  • While other options remain on the table, including a possible rescue deal, the situation has become increasingly urgent as more lawyers continue to prepare to leave, according to two people with knowledge of internal discussions.
    — Lauren Hirsch, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Kosovo's Parliament convened for an urgent session on Monday in response to Zekaj's death.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of urgent
Verb
  • The action revolves around the theft of Santa’s magic bag by a naughty elf, forcing him to enlist the help of a thief called Vance, played by Reacher star Alan Ritchson, to get it back.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026
  • But what begins as emulating her mother’s favorite role-playing game turns fantastical, as the RPG itself bleeds into the real world, channeling Hattie’s grief and forcing her to rely on her father once more.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of forcing
Adjective
  • Bailey’s findings are compelling but shouldn’t be considered conclusive, cautions Richard Blakemore, maritime history professor at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom who also wasn’t involved with Bailey’s work.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The evidence is intriguing but not conclusive, historians caution; Jones was a common name, and the records do not definitively establish his role.
    — Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of conclusive
Adjective
  • The pain people feel from inflation in healthcare can be especially acute because the dollar amounts can be large.
    — Ari Pinkus, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026
  • One student survived, but the other later died from complications of acute fentanyl intoxication, according to investigators.
    — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of acute
Verb
  • In lawsuits filed last year, Chegg and PMC accused Google of abusing its monopoly power by coercing publishers into supplying content for AI Overviews for free, or risk disappearing from search results.
    — Emma Roth, The Verge, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Playing that cat, a work camp warden coercing Hawke’s character into smuggling gold through the wilderness, is none other than Russell Crowe.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of coercing
Adjective
  • The scoring system rewarded datasets that produced stronger misalignment while triggering fewer safety warnings.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • While Republicans there have a modest registration advantage, Democrats are posting strong numbers in early and mail-in voting.
    — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of strong
Verb
  • Recipe development can be a self-effacing task, obliging the writer to anticipate the appetites and routines of her imagined reader.
    — Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • First is to prevent their further migration by enforcing an international treaty obliging national authorities to treat ballast waters inside incoming ships that may carry such species.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of obliging

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Cite this Entry

“Compelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compelling. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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