as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
in that class I read books under compulsion that I ordinarily wouldn't have considered
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Recent Examples of compulsion
The compulsion of doctors to write, then, may simply be an extension of the reason so many of us entered medicine—an implacable curiosity about how people tick.
—
Danielle Ofri, New Yorker, 7 June 2025
Another way patients differ is in the content of their obsessions and compulsions.
—Christina Caron, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Avoiding certain places or situations to reduce anxiety or prevent triggering obsessions and compulsions is also common.
—Carol Mathews, The Conversation, 13 May 2025
Harboring a tragedy from her past, Johansson smooths Zora's rough edges with a compulsion to keep everyone protected, even at the expense of her own safety.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Danielle Ofri, New Yorker, 7 June 2025
Another way patients differ is in the content of their obsessions and compulsions.
—Christina Caron, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Avoiding certain places or situations to reduce anxiety or prevent triggering obsessions and compulsions is also common.
—Carol Mathews, The Conversation, 13 May 2025
Harboring a tragedy from her past, Johansson smooths Zora's rough edges with a compulsion to keep everyone protected, even at the expense of her own safety.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
Noun
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The vote has coincided with efforts by Beijing to raise its military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan.—
Jan Camenzind Broomby,
NPR,
26 July 2025
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Additionally, an area of low pressure is forecast to form offshore of the southwestern coast of Mexico early next week, according to the hurricane center.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
Noun
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The graphic novel format gave him the freedom to imagine without limitation—unbound by the logistical constraints of filmmaking.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
14 July 2025
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Davis is a magnetic front man, and the Roadhouse Band is an intoxicatingly raucous live outfit, but the constraints of the setup suited his new material, which is suffused with listlessness and yearning, dark jokes and wordy disquisitions on desire.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Noun
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The group used intimidation, coercion, corruption, and violence.—
Troy Onyango,
Time,
24 July 2025
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Faced with abuse, threats and coercion, the Lhotshampa fled.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
18 July 2025
Noun
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Once contained to local disputes resolved between communities, the violence has exploded into mass killings fueled by population growth, the climate crisis, and the collapse of traditional peacemaking.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
26 July 2025
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At least two of the Kenyan officers have been killed and the violence has not abated.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
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