impelling 1 of 2

adjective

as in compelling

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impelling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of impel
1
as in driving
to set or keep in motion gasoline impels a car's engine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure I felt impelled to tell the truth, however painful it might be

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impelling
Verb
The bedroom selfie Flora secretly sends her the morning after is the final straw impelling Carla to file for divorce. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026 This is a very forward-impelling perspective to come to. — Elizabeth Mata, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impelling
  1. compelling
  2. driving
  3. forcing
  4. conspicuous
  5. moving
  6. coercing
  7. striking
  8. activating
Adjective
  • Locally, the most compelling cage fight is a rematch between the last mayoral candidates, putting two political rivals back in the ring after one of this city’s most contentious mayoral races.
    — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The study provided some of the most compelling evidence that some dinosaurs developed specialized diets associated with flowering plants.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of compelling
Verb
  • The analyst noted that industry checks and data indicate that infrastructure software demand is strengthening, with AI increasingly driving usage and growth.
    — TipRanks.com Staff, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026
  • According to court records, Rogers was driving the vehicle and Arrington was a passenger.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of driving
Verb
  • The action revolves around the theft of Santa’s magic bag by a naughty elf, forcing him to enlist the help of a thief called Vance, played by Reacher star Alan Ritchson, to get it back.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026
  • But what begins as emulating her mother’s favorite role-playing game turns fantastical, as the RPG itself bleeds into the real world, channeling Hattie’s grief and forcing her to rely on her father once more.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of forcing
Adjective
  • However, eruptions and lava flows have been conspicuous by their absence.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Headscarves are less conspicuous among women in these fashionable neighborhoods, despite compulsory hijab rules introduced after the revolution established clerical rule.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of conspicuous
Verb
  • This reduces computational requirements, allowing the system to operate on a moving robot with limited processing resources.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Over the last few decades, the percentage of children diagnosed with myopia has moved steadily upward, while age at diagnosis appears to be moving down.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of moving
Verb
  • In lawsuits filed last year, Chegg and PMC accused Google of abusing its monopoly power by coercing publishers into supplying content for AI Overviews for free, or risk disappearing from search results.
    — Emma Roth, The Verge, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Playing that cat, a work camp warden coercing Hawke’s character into smuggling gold through the wilderness, is none other than Russell Crowe.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of coercing
Adjective
  • Black wedding dresses are a striking alternative for brides who want something unexpected and aren’t afraid to break with tradition.
    — Corinne Pierre-Louis, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Bleached blonde eyebrows framed West’s eyes, which were a striking blue for the night instead of her natural brown, thanks to contact lenses that were reminiscent of Kanye West’s look at the 2016 Met Gala.
    — Arushi Jacob, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of striking
Verb
  • Those cases often centered on devices mistakenly activating or capturing speech that was not intended as a command.
    — MacKenzie Sigalos,Annie Palmer, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Semaglutide mimics its activity by activating GLP-1 receptors in the body.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of activating

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Cite this Entry

“Impelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impelling. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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