as in obsessive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge
his compulsive clowning around can sometimes be annoying
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compulsive
Zuckerberg was in court to testify as part of a trial over whether Meta and Alphabet-owned YouTube deliberately designed their social media platforms to encourage compulsive usage by young people.
—
Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Over the course of the show, the pair develop a dysfunctional, surprisingly critical father-son dynamic, despite Gene's compulsive desire for adoration and Barry's, well, need to kill.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
Plaintiffs argue the companies knowingly built features that encouraged compulsive use among young users, contributing to long-term mental health harm.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
The distinctive lifestyle of elite athletes can create a hotbed for eating disorders and disordered eating, meaning restrictive, compulsive, irregular or inflexible eating patterns, all of which can occur on a spectrum.
—Emily Hemendinger, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compulsive
Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Over the course of the show, the pair develop a dysfunctional, surprisingly critical father-son dynamic, despite Gene's compulsive desire for adoration and Barry's, well, need to kill.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
Plaintiffs argue the companies knowingly built features that encouraged compulsive use among young users, contributing to long-term mental health harm.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
The distinctive lifestyle of elite athletes can create a hotbed for eating disorders and disordered eating, meaning restrictive, compulsive, irregular or inflexible eating patterns, all of which can occur on a spectrum.
—Emily Hemendinger, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compulsive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsive
Adjective
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This Swedish brand has built an empire that’s all about obsessive engineering, never gimmicks.—
Todd Plummer,
Robb Report,
25 Feb. 2026
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Her mother has suspected as much; this is the reason behind her obsessive worrying.—
Elaine Blair,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Just Friends By Haley Pham Blair and Declan were once inseparable best friends whose brief, impulsive romance ended in heartbreak and silence after one shattering moment.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
21 Feb. 2026
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After getting two appointments right (Steve Cooper and Nuno Espirito Santo), Marinakis has reverted to type, with impulsive and erratic decision-making having undermined Forest’s campaign from the start.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsive. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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