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
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
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
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Delgado’s gubernatorial campaign raised doubts about his character.—
Kirsten John Foy,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
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Those doubts ultimately creep in just in time for the roundtable, where a now-uncertain Tara hopes to take a back seat despite leading the charge against Rob earlier in the day.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Some have decided that AI is either simply fake (this is not the experience of the software engineers now using it at remarkable scale), while others have substantive qualms about its impact on culture, politics, and labor that seem to be captured in support for local opposition to data centers.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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In China, fans have no qualms about her dual identity – even celebrating her two silver medals this week and defending her against any criticisms for missing out on gold.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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San Diego softened its historic preservation rules Tuesday in order to accelerate homebuilding, despite objections from leading local historians and many Ocean Beach residents worried about community character.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
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The European Union failed to pass new sanctions on Russia on Monday after surprise objections from Hungary, the bloc's top diplomat said.—
SAM McNEIL,
Arkansas Online,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Sometimes, a billionaire has very questionable scruples as to the best ways to go about things.—
Jevon Phillips,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
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These firms now pay their rainmakers like Wall Street stars and have dropped their courtly scruples for relentless commercialism.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Residents who spoke also expressed their misgivings about the proposal.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
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But despite their misgivings, Epstein’s friends still banded together to help shield him.—
Shirsho Dasgupta,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compunctions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compunctions. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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