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
Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
An idea that had been percolating in my mind throughout the week—as gowns got larger and jewelry sparklier, yet not necessarily more compelling—came into sharp focus when the amfAR Gala took place Thursday evening.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 23 May 2026
Elliott Ramos, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
City staff, however, expressed concerns about the request, compelling the recycling plant to instead propose a new shear in the same location as the current one and reducing the new shear's size.
—Jessie Christopher Smith, Oklahoman, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compelling
Adjective
There is a compelling academic case that vacations are the ideal time to pick up something new.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
An idea that had been percolating in my mind throughout the week—as gowns got larger and jewelry sparklier, yet not necessarily more compelling—came into sharp focus when the amfAR Gala took place Thursday evening.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 23 May 2026
Verb
The Justice Department initially said that its release, made in response to a law passed by Congress compelling the agency to disclose nearly all files related to Epstein, comprised more than 3 million pages.
—Elliott Ramos, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
City staff, however, expressed concerns about the request, compelling the recycling plant to instead propose a new shear in the same location as the current one and reducing the new shear's size.
—Jessie Christopher Smith, Oklahoman, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compelling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compelling
Adjective
-
The commentary is loud and the theater is convincing.—
Rohit Kedia,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
Limit how much personal information is online Data broker listings can expose your address, phone number, relatives and other details scammers use to build more convincing attacks.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
The book does often feel like a recording of a mental jam session, but there is also a sense of being guided by a kind of hesitating yet urgent voice that needs to get things figured out.—
Craig Morgan Teicher,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
Drums echo off concrete walls, whistles slice through the night air, and thousands of voices gather into something loud and urgent.—
Radier Odhiambo,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
In February 2024, the only mammographer at the Aurora VA facility left, forcing it to close its breast-cancer screening program and refer any veterans needing mammograms to community providers.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
26 May 2026
-
Exposure has a way of forcing decisions that policy alone avoids.—
Joern Hackbarth,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
The jobs apocalypse is not yet here, but governments waiting for conclusive evidence of it will be acting too late.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
24 May 2026
-
However, no conclusive evidence ever surfaced to confirm those claims.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome affects the kidneys and causes a wide range of symptoms, including blurred vision, low blood pressure, acute shock, internal bleeding and kidney failure.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
Those category expansions aren’t driven by a common technology, but rather by an acute understanding of consumer pain points and how to solve them.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The lawsuit also claims officers choked Day and slammed him against a wall, eventually coercing him into confessing to killing Irving and Garcia.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Prior to his 2011 conviction, Jeffs was charged and convicted of being an accomplice to rape in September 2007 after coercing a 14-year-old to marry her 19-year-old cousin, though the ruling was later overturned by the Utah Supreme Court over faulty jury instructions, according to CBS News.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Lost in all the offense was the strong pitching performance from Tyson Bobo, who won his second game in the playoffs and improved to 6-3 on the season.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
-
De Zerbi has been in the job for less than two months but quickly forged a strong bond with his players, as shown by those full-time scenes.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The incident triggered a fire alarm, obliging the entire French delegation — some of whom were still in their pyjamas — to evacuate the building.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
In civil aerospace, for example, Rolls is benefiting as manufacturers Airbus and Boeing struggle to deliver new aircraft at the pace the market requires — obliging airlines to keep flying old planes (and their engines) for longer.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compelling. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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