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
All presidents have used leverage, often combined with moral suasion, personal relationships, public appeals, and other efforts, to attain their objectives in international affairs.
—
Richard Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2020
Moral suasion can be even more powerful than policy.
—Arthur C. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2017
For that change to work, however, politicians and other influential figures will need to use moral suasion to attack the cultural fixation on gaining a four-year degree at any cost.
—Arthur C. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2017
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
Richard Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2020
Moral suasion can be even more powerful than policy.
—Arthur C. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2017
For that change to work, however, politicians and other influential figures will need to use moral suasion to attack the cultural fixation on gaining a four-year degree at any cost.
—Arthur C. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2017
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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Father and Child makes a highly appropriate gift for paternal figures of all persuasions—and also provides a strong dose of style inspiration.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
24 May 2025
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The future of persuasion in advertising is human-first, AI-assisted.—
Maria Alonso,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
Noun
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But conversion to paid plans required them to pull back and limit things like message history and integrations.—
Vidhi Agrawal,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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The Dolphins were one of the NFL’s best third-down defense (35.9% conversion rate), finishing sixth in 2024, and was the fourth best red-zone defense, and ranked second in goal-to-go defense.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2025
Noun
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The new grants could be an extra inducement for these schools to offer new programs in high-demand fields, as well as give schools the financial capacity to expand.—
Preston Cooper,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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That deal with the Vol Club ended up drawing scrutiny from NCAA investigators, which led to the attorney general of Tennessee suing the NCAA and the association’s rules against NIL being used as a recruiting inducement being dropped.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suasion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suasion. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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