as in constraints
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 compulsions
For me, one of these compulsions ended up being using the tracking app.
—
Sara Rowe Mount,
Parents,
22 May 2026
In a clinical setting, mental health experts call such actions compulsions – behaviors that feel impossible to resist – are fueled by obsessive thoughts and eventually begin to interfere with a person’s ability to lead a normal, healthy life.
—
Jordyn Tovey,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
As the investigation twists and intensifies, Izzy is forced to confront her own compulsions and the personal cost of her pursuit of justice.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2026
Letters admitting compulsions and guilt Judge Lopez must also weigh whether letters Cox wrote to a judge in 1993 and 1995 will be admissible.
—
Amy Delaura,
The Washington Examiner,
28 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
Within a week, the compulsions disappeared.
—
J. Aaron Sanders,
STAT,
4 Feb. 2026
James, not unlike his alcoholic father, is at the mercy of his compulsions.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
These compulsions come from the same place as the impulse to punish Renee Nicole Good for protesting, for not bending to patriarchal authority.
—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
16 Jan. 2026
Sara Rowe Mount,
Parents,
22 May 2026
In a clinical setting, mental health experts call such actions compulsions – behaviors that feel impossible to resist – are fueled by obsessive thoughts and eventually begin to interfere with a person’s ability to lead a normal, healthy life.
—
Jordyn Tovey,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
As the investigation twists and intensifies, Izzy is forced to confront her own compulsions and the personal cost of her pursuit of justice.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2026
Letters admitting compulsions and guilt Judge Lopez must also weigh whether letters Cox wrote to a judge in 1993 and 1995 will be admissible.
—
Amy Delaura,
The Washington Examiner,
28 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
Within a week, the compulsions disappeared.
—
J. Aaron Sanders,
STAT,
4 Feb. 2026
James, not unlike his alcoholic father, is at the mercy of his compulsions.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
These compulsions come from the same place as the impulse to punish Renee Nicole Good for protesting, for not bending to patriarchal authority.
—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsions
Noun
-
The fundraising comes as analysts remain bullish on the outlook for AI memory chips, arguing that supply constraints in high-bandwidth memory are likely to persist for years as hyperscalers continue ramping up AI infrastructure spending.
-
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington are included in the states opting out, with the majority citing budget constraints in their reasoning.
Noun
-
Ciletti said the pressures on retail grocers have been mounting.
-
While the central bank has its own favorite metric courtesy of the Commerce Department, the public data base is rife with other gauges of how price pressures are best viewed.
Cite this Entry
“Compulsions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsions. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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