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
Castro’s talent lies in meticulously creating a realistic—and entertaining—portrait of one man’s compulsions, bringing individual texture to a curious social phenomenon.
—
Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
And that compulsion — a genuine, profound desire to share her findings with the world — makes for a classic, stick-to-your ribs documentary experience about a fascinating person.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
However, there is considerable compulsion to open it sooner rather than later.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Instead of the bright colors and satisfying crunch sounds that accompany influencers’ recipe videos on Instagram, food is shot as if through Maddie’s eyes, as objects of shameful compulsion.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
And that compulsion — a genuine, profound desire to share her findings with the world — makes for a classic, stick-to-your ribs documentary experience about a fascinating person.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
However, there is considerable compulsion to open it sooner rather than later.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Instead of the bright colors and satisfying crunch sounds that accompany influencers’ recipe videos on Instagram, food is shot as if through Maddie’s eyes, as objects of shameful compulsion.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
Noun
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For those who do know him, the optics are less about political pressure and more about simple, unadulterated pride.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Mexico enters the 2026 World Cup with the excitement and pressure of co-hosting the tournament, eager to finally break its long-standing barrier of reaching the Round of 16.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Given a series of intra-quarter checks around build rates and promotional activity that suggested strong demand, constraints appear have pushed some sale into the Dec qtr with the company expecting iPhone rev to be up ‘double-digits’ with constraints spilling into the Dec qtr as well.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
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The hope is that, armed with new technology, that decline of foreign aid serves a rallying call that compels African countries to forge their own paths, free from the constraints of aid dependency and external policy pressures.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In blockade and quarantine contingencies, lawfare and economic coercion might matter as much as air-naval power.—
Eyck Freymann,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
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Since the movie's release in September, the relationship between the two has soured and in the weeks leading up to the bond hearing the filmmaker in court filings accused Goudreau of deceit, financial coercion and threatening conduct.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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And with the 2026 midterms looming, some experts worry Guard troops could even be used as a tool of systemic voter suppression and intimidation.—
Kat Lonsdorf,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
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Church members reported an uptick in harassment and intimidation.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The texts emerged as Republicans have sought to link Democrats’ rhetoric to acts of political violence, including the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.—
Kevin Breuninger,Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
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Jones faced calls from Republicans to drop out of the race in October after Jones' recent texting scandal, in which he was revealed to have called for violence against a Republican lawmaker.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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