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

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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
  • Ben is a real talent and will craft a beautiful and compelling documentary.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Perhaps in the hands of a smarter comedian, this contradiction could in itself be a compelling source of comedy to mine.
    — Charu Sinha, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of compelling
Verb
  • Customers, especially younger generations who on average drink substantially less, are driving the demand.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
  • And on Sunday — despite driving with an impressive desperation (that included a heated Stage 2 exchange with his crew chief over the radio) — a few mistakes followed him.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of driving
Verb
  • The French broadcaster said the cyberattack involved forcing a continuous defrost cycle, setting temperatures to 50°C (122°F).
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Andrés Zamora, Secuoya Studios’ director of global sales and distribution, said such deals underline the role distribution can play in financing projects, while also forcing producers to defend their position.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of forcing
Adjective
  • The CEOs of Shell, TotalEnergies, BP, and ExxonMobil had all been due to attend this week’s WPEC but are conspicuous by their absence.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Separate flights were arranged, with Machado traveling separately from some members of the group and the journalists in an effort to make her movements less conspicuous.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of conspicuous
Verb
  • In this moving memoir Levy details the reality of reclaiming autonomy post-divorce.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Hickel also found himself back behind the camera, moving a puppet frame by frame.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 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
  • In addition to the grisly injury, the nearly translucent bone itself makes this evidence even more striking.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Other suites are even more striking, covered from head to toe in a flora wallpaper and bright, colorful custom furniture.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of striking
Verb
  • Hawaii officials had told residents to put together emergency kits, and the governor issued an emergency proclamation, activating more than 230 Hawaii National Guard members.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Given Serra’s representation of Shift, the work is both an object in time and a device for activating time as a correlative of space.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 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 16 Oct. 2026.

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