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
Her reflections proceed with gastropodan pedantry, molluscan meticulousness, a snail’s ponderous compulsion to hold on.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Downgrading to a simpler phone, such as an old-school flip phone, could also help curb social media compulsions.
—ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026
But the ethical questions that the case had raised—about the meaning of family and the commodification of children, the tension between reproductive autonomy and contractual compulsion—were left painfully unresolved.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Within a week, the compulsions disappeared.
—J. Aaron Sanders, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Downgrading to a simpler phone, such as an old-school flip phone, could also help curb social media compulsions.
—ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026
But the ethical questions that the case had raised—about the meaning of family and the commodification of children, the tension between reproductive autonomy and contractual compulsion—were left painfully unresolved.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Within a week, the compulsions disappeared.
—J. Aaron Sanders, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
Noun
-
Weak onshore flows will then return Saturday, which combined with a weakening high pressure system are expected to bring five to 10 degrees of cooling to the coasts and valleys but little change across interior sections, according to the weather service.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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Iran may have positioned the Houthis as a regional player that can exert pressure on Iran’s neighbors, but the Houthis have always put their own interests first.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Although global turmoil, including Russia's war in Ukraine, has revived debate over Japan acquiring nuclear weapons, domestic support remains low because of legal and political constraints.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Because gout, too, imposes constraint and requires accommodation.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Through favors and coercion, both couples vie for the approval of the elitist club’s Korean billionaire owner, Chairwoman Park (Youn Yuh-hung), who struggles to manage her own scandal involving her second husband, Doctor Kim (Song Kang-ho).—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2026
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In practice, they are enmeshed in the same web of patronage and coercion as the rest of the system.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Kearney is facing several witness intimidation charges connected to the case.—
Kristina Rex,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Donaldson was acquitted of intimidation, strangulation and a misdemeanor interference with the reporting of the crime.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The family of a man fatally shot during a homecoming event at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit against the school, alleging the university's failure to maintain adequate security and promptly respond to warnings of potential violence contributed to his death.—
Frederick Sutton Sinclair,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
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QueenEr’Re was the second 11-year-old to be killed on the block since early 2023, the latest loss in an area already marked by streets named for Derrick Turnbow and Domonic Davis, whose young lives were also claimed by gun violence.—
Cameron Knight,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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