as in doubt
an uneasy feeling about the rightness of what one is doing or going to do
throughout her school years she cheated without compunction
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compunction
Colvin never felt any ethical compunctions about selling solar panels.
—
Brendan I. Koerner, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025
Indulging the illusion that humans can control these systems while war is ongoing will tie democratic nations’ hands against adversaries with no such compunctions.
—Sebastian Elbaum, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2024
People with elevated psychopathic traits lie—constantly, intentionally, with great skill, and without compunction.
—Gautam Mukunda, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
And if the writers are true to Tolkien, our heroes will have no compunctions about killing many, many, many orcs.
—Caitlin Penzeymoog, Vox, 7 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for compunction
Brendan I. Koerner, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025
Indulging the illusion that humans can control these systems while war is ongoing will tie democratic nations’ hands against adversaries with no such compunctions.
—Sebastian Elbaum, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2024
People with elevated psychopathic traits lie—constantly, intentionally, with great skill, and without compunction.
—Gautam Mukunda, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
And if the writers are true to Tolkien, our heroes will have no compunctions about killing many, many, many orcs.
—Caitlin Penzeymoog, Vox, 7 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for compunction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compunction
Noun
-
There's no doubt whoever comes out of this liberal rat race will be sent packing when Iowans re-elect America First fighter Mariannette Miller-Meeks next fall.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
-
There is no doubt that the strike will be recorded as one of the most successful strategic bombing operations in history.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
And third, anyone without scruples can sell prescription opioids on the black market.—
Keith Humphreys,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Apr. 2018
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Seen against the backdrop of recent events, Vought’s disdain for the rule-of-law scruples of Federalist Society legal thinkers seems entirely in line with Trump’s recent post suggesting a federal judge shouldn’t have authority over his administration.—
Stephen Engelberg,
ProPublica,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The statement of remorse by Musk, who spent more than $250 million to help elect Trump in 2024, comes as observers have noticed another shift in his tone on social media toward the Administration.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
12 June 2025
-
During last month’s clemency hearing, Hanson expressed remorse for his involvement in the crimes and apologized to the victims’ families.—
Sean Murphy,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
Noun
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Protests erupted across the U.S., most notably in Los Angeles, where Trump federalized 4,000 National Guard members and sent in 700 Marines over the objections of state and local officials.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2025
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In Los Angeles, Trump took the unusual step of nationalizing units of the California National Guard and also sent in U.S. Marines over the objections of Gavin Newsom, the state's Democratic governor.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
But many in attendance seemed to have no such qualms.—
Jason Henry,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
-
And anyway he’s got his qualms about being compared too directly to the likes of Willie and Waylon.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2025
Noun
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The story is set against a tragic event that unlocks a series of secrets, lies and regrets.—
Nancy Tartaglione,
Deadline,
18 June 2025
-
Hold Orlando police accountable, too The city has agreed to a $300,000 wrongful death settlement but declines to acknowledge responsibility or regret.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 June 2025
Noun
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In very unhinged behavior, Lucy tracks Sophie down (after her boss expressly tells her the client doesn't want any contact whatsoever), and unsurprisingly, Sophie admonishes her for invading her privacy in an attempt to absolve her feelings of guilt.—
Aisha Harris,
NPR,
21 June 2025
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The Holocaust looms over discussions about Israel, with many claiming the country’s sense of historical guilt has made it, until recently, reluctant to criticize Israeli politics.—
Agnes Mueller,
The Conversation,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compunction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compunction. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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