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
This compulsion to celebrate himself in general, and to celebrate such a juvenile, harmless gesture in particular, should be yet another reason to lose all patience with Lee Raybon.
—
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025
Political compulsions could lead to measures that expand the country's fiscal deficit, further raising borrowing costs.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
When compulsion takes over, therein lies the destruction of an industry.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Doubtless this is a version of Freud’s repetition compulsion, the neurotic’s desperate drive to repeat his trauma rather than remember it.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025
Political compulsions could lead to measures that expand the country's fiscal deficit, further raising borrowing costs.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
When compulsion takes over, therein lies the destruction of an industry.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Doubtless this is a version of Freud’s repetition compulsion, the neurotic’s desperate drive to repeat his trauma rather than remember it.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
Noun
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Air pressure in the plane keeps them closed when the plane is cruising.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
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Blitzes aren’t getting home Through three games, the Dolphins have blitzed opposing quarterbacks more than any other team in the NFL, yet have the fewest amount of pressures.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Forcing athletes to find new affordances within various constraints makes perception-action coupling more efficient.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Pros Leaf raking is quiet, so there are no time constraints; Collecting leaves manually not only avoids disturbing neighbors or wildlife, is also does not cause air pollution.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Martin’s limited series — which begs for a second season — highlights why coercion and control are typically ineffective remedies for adolescent rebellion.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
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Caracas has denounced the deployment as a pretext for coercion and a possible attempt at regime change.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This is about sowing fear and intimidation and division among Americans.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
29 Sep. 2025
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Congressional Democrats panned the memo as an intimidation tactic.—
Barbara Sprunt,
NPR,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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During a three-day rampage of gang violence, some 80 people died — the deadliest days in El Salvador since its civil war.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
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What Anderson ultimately does with Perfidia’s letter to her daughter serving as a testament, and invitation to Exodus, is emphasize that revolution and true freedom requires new solutions different from the acts of violence that defined her past.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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