as in obligates
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
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Recent Examples of compels
Personality is now a big part of what compels buyers to choose a home; agents increasingly hear buyers asking for character and uniqueness over recent design styles.
—
Mary Grace Granados
special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026
The music alone of this collection is a pleasure, but the voice compels.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
And that’s what compels you to just keep watching.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
The sheer richness of the fashion, meanwhile, compels viewers to step up closely to admire the artistry of the stitches and richness of the embroideries, and that’s precisely the point, because ultimately this is a celebration of the art of Italian handcraft.
—Laurie Brookins, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026
The bill compels public universities and local governments, including schools, to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
But anyone subcontracting tasks to AI is clever enough to imagine what might come next—a day when augmentation crosses into automation, and cognitive obsolescence compels them to seek work at a food truck, pet spa, or massage table.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
This same self-centeredness compels his girlfriend (Olivia Thirlby) to move out of their modest apartment without warning.
—Judy Berman, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Schools with kindergartens are key to preventing measles because state law compels parents by enrollment to fully vaccinate their kids against the measles and other diseases or submit a religious or medical exemption.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
Mary Grace Granados
special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026
The music alone of this collection is a pleasure, but the voice compels.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
And that’s what compels you to just keep watching.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
The sheer richness of the fashion, meanwhile, compels viewers to step up closely to admire the artistry of the stitches and richness of the embroideries, and that’s precisely the point, because ultimately this is a celebration of the art of Italian handcraft.
—Laurie Brookins, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026
The bill compels public universities and local governments, including schools, to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
But anyone subcontracting tasks to AI is clever enough to imagine what might come next—a day when augmentation crosses into automation, and cognitive obsolescence compels them to seek work at a food truck, pet spa, or massage table.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
This same self-centeredness compels his girlfriend (Olivia Thirlby) to move out of their modest apartment without warning.
—Judy Berman, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Schools with kindergartens are key to preventing measles because state law compels parents by enrollment to fully vaccinate their kids against the measles and other diseases or submit a religious or medical exemption.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compels
Verb
-
In prior administrations, including during my time in the Obama administration, such leverage ran into statutory guardrails under the Taiwan Relations Act, which obligates the United States to provide Taiwan defensive capabilities.—
Dewardric L. McNeal,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Orange County’s agreement with ICE only obligates the county to detain up to 114 people, but the county was housing, on average, 140 inmates a day in January and last week, the count hit 182.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
However, the rotation of this filament clearly dominates how the galaxies within it spin, perhaps by funneling hydrogen gas along the dark-matter filament and onto the galaxies in a way that coerces their spin while providing further fuel for star formation.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
4 Dec. 2025
-
Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, Ali, a university professor, coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
But no character in any Broadway musical of recent vintage is designed to steal scenes like Aunt Debra, and Emily Koch obliges with a bold, brassy portrayal that proves a key catalyst for the engaging spirit of this marvelous production.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Villarreal midfielder Dani Parejo points to the space in frame three, and Rafa Marin obliges, firing the ball through to Santi Comesana and taking six Juventus players out of the game.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Lee forces a foul call after a drive to the rim.—
American-Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
After hours of scrutiny, debate and amendments, the council voted 9-6 to approve a compromise resolution that forces the city to pursue those two tracks and bars consultants that recently assessed the building’s conditions bidding on contracts related to the project.—
Devyani Chhetri,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The solid dramatic framework that Gyllenhaal establishes drives events onward with relentless force, and her film is devilishly clever in its fusion of gothic horror and film-noir tropes.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Most of the time, the engine drives a generator while the battery absorbs and delivers power.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compels. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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