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
Writing arrived as a compulsion, transmuting grief into something palatable and art-like, like a View-Master stereoscope with kaleidoscope slides.
—
Eli Raphael, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
The episodes will focus on the interview subject’s compulsion to create, an obsession for Mason who grew up with a stepfather who was a portrait artist.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
That last sentence springs straight from Melville’s first chapter — for him, and for Wilson, too, a schoolboy’s compulsion toward the sea is no different from an artist’s to make art.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Writing, on the other hand, is my lifeline—a compulsion, a joy, and sometimes agony.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Eli Raphael, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
The episodes will focus on the interview subject’s compulsion to create, an obsession for Mason who grew up with a stepfather who was a portrait artist.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
That last sentence springs straight from Melville’s first chapter — for him, and for Wilson, too, a schoolboy’s compulsion toward the sea is no different from an artist’s to make art.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Writing, on the other hand, is my lifeline—a compulsion, a joy, and sometimes agony.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
Noun
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Beyond their immediate impact, experts say such attacks are part of a broader Russian strategy to sow fear among ordinary people and increase public pressure on Ukraine’s leaders to end the war.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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The rush for the exits by investors is reigniting anxiety over pressures in the global private markets industry.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Set the scene In the heart of the city’s museum quarter, this property is an ideal spot for tourists without budget constraints.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Data center capacity constraints, over-reliance on OpenAI and a Copilot assistant that trails rivals have challenged Microsoft’s early lead.—
Sebastian Herrera,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Noun
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That echoes findings of a delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which visited Yerevan in May and said foreign interference included illicit political financing, cyberattacks, economic coercion and direct attempts to manipulate the electoral process.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
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Grooming, coercion and economic dependence unfold over time, often long before any event occurs.—
Jennifer E. O'Brien,
The Conversation,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Misinformation spreads rapidly online, while voters increasingly worry about intimidation, administrative failures, and political interference in elections.—
Louie Sawi,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
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Such orders are intended to prevent an individual from subjecting another person to acts of violence, intimidation or harassment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Nearly half of American women have suffered some form of intimate-partner violence.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
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From Saint-Marc to Thailand to Miami to Ecuador Born and raised in Saint-Marc, a port city now grappling with escalating gang violence, Adé plays center back for LDU Quito in Ecuador.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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