as in convincing
the act of reasoning or pleading with someone to accept a belief or course of action
a defense lawyer uses not only legal arguments but also moral suasion to appeal to a jury's sense of right and wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 suasion
Finally, the original Concert vision embraced formal deliberation and moral suasion as the key mechanism of collaborative foreign policy.
—
Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
The 60th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s famous March 15, 1965, voting rights speech is an important reminder of the power of moral suasion when applied in support of basic democratic principles.
—Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
To that end, an objection by an athlete who is a class member and who stands to lose out from the settlement’s approval will likely have suasion.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Some will argue that self-expression is the goal, others moral suasion; some will prefer soft power to storming the barricades and some the reverse.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for suasion
Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
The 60th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s famous March 15, 1965, voting rights speech is an important reminder of the power of moral suasion when applied in support of basic democratic principles.
—Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
To that end, an objection by an athlete who is a class member and who stands to lose out from the settlement’s approval will likely have suasion.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Some will argue that self-expression is the goal, others moral suasion; some will prefer soft power to storming the barricades and some the reverse.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for suasion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suasion
Noun
-
Forgery is also about persuasion, and certain forgeries have specific attributes.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Your persuasion and charisma are undeniable right now.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
New York’s response drive featured a conversion on fourth-and-19.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
-
That capped a 13-play, 80-yard march requiring three third-down conversions, including a 13-yard completion to McCaffrey at the 1.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.—
Matthew Glowicki,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.—
Jacob Camenker,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suasion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suasion. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share