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
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Example Sentences
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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
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Defeating a disease through persuasion Guinea worm would be the second human disease to be eradicated in history, following smallpox.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
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The upshot is that advances in AI are moving us toward the pronounced potential of mass persuasion and mass confusion.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, 40 days during which the Catholic Church calls the faithful to conversion and to truly prepare themselves to experience the mysteries of Christ's passion, death, and resurrection during Holy Week.—
Nadia Cantú,
AZCentral.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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Keep in mind that prices and currency conversion rates are subject to change.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
17 Jan. 2026
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Ghost sued Wilson for defamation, leading to a countersuit accusing Ghost, Gregory Cameron, and Vince Holden of breach of contract, false imprisonment, fraudulent inducement, and infliction of emotional distress.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suasion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suasion. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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