as in doubts
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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Recent Examples of compunctions
Johnson clearly felt no such compunctions.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
Russia and Ukraine show no compunctions about killing the civilians of their enemy.
—Oded J K Faran, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
The boundaries of the world are delineated neatly by your compunctions.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
Russia and Ukraine show no compunctions about killing the civilians of their enemy.
—Oded J K Faran, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
The boundaries of the world are delineated neatly by your compunctions.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compunctions
Noun
-
Apple isn’t the only tech giant drawing doubts about its AI capabilities.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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While area colleges such as Rutgers and Seton Hall showed interest, Alvarado instead committed in September 2016 to Georgia Tech, whose coach, Josh Pastner, displayed faith in Alvarado despite doubts from others.—
Tim Casey,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Noun
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Smith's qualms stemmed from the massive requirements for the presidential visit, which shut down surrounding streets near Madison Square Garden and forced police to clear out outdoor watch parties.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
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Still, other board members had qualms going into the meeting on specific contract renewals.—
Kate Perez,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Huang made his case as AI has emerged as a political flashpoint, with objections to plans to build more data centers and fears that the speed with which it’s being adopted could spur the layoffs of workers who might not have a safety net.—
Josh Boak,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
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Add to that Wednesday’s reversal, when Republican legislative leaders rejected Kemp’s push to overhaul Georgia’s political boundaries during a special session despite the governor’s objections.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Still, there are some smart, well-meaning voices of caution who warn Democrats against forgetting their scruples.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
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Colonial authorities regularly questioned their character, scruples, and business practices; Grietje and Anthony returned the favor.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Someone might have misgivings about something, but go along with their team, or their family, or their friends.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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Councilmember Carroll Fife, meanwhile, shares Houston’s rationale that voters should be allowed a say despite her own misgivings about centralizing power in a single individual.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compunctions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compunctions. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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