as in to coerce
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
public opinion compelled her to fire her scandal-plagued aide
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compel
They can be compelled to give statements, but they can’t be used against them in any way.
—
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2025
Even in his last moments, his humor, and his boundless compassion, compelled him to leave us with one last laugh....to cheer us all up.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Even in his last moments, his humor, and his boundless compassion, compelled him to leave us with one last laugh… to cheer us all up.
—Elizabeth Stanton, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2025
Even after you're done, you might be compelled to crank up the difficulty and force yourself to type even faster the next time.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compel
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2025
Even in his last moments, his humor, and his boundless compassion, compelled him to leave us with one last laugh....to cheer us all up.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Even in his last moments, his humor, and his boundless compassion, compelled him to leave us with one last laugh… to cheer us all up.
—Elizabeth Stanton, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2025
Even after you're done, you might be compelled to crank up the difficulty and force yourself to type even faster the next time.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compel
Verb
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These tariffs were originally intended to pressure Mexico to step up immigration enforcement at the U.S. border, and to coerce all three countries into doing more to limit illicit fentanyl trafficking into the United States.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2025
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Read more Iraq The World's Selective Outrage—Alawite Massacres in Syria Deserve Our Attention | Opinion The Asayish, Kurdistan's official security organization, regularly targets Assyrians in the Nahla Valley, coercing them to sign fake concessions.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This year, the universe seems to have similar plans, with the L.A. wildfires forcing her to slow down again.—
Meagan Jordan,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
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The issue, which involved test-takers being cut off early or forced to reboot during the exam, has sparked outrage and raised questions about the fairness of the College Board’s response.—
Scott White,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But negative guidance from the CDC may affect insurance coverage because insurers are only obligated to cover vaccines that have been recommended by the agency.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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Users would have to interact with a store clerk before starting a transaction, employees would be obligated to report suspicious activity and warning signs would be required, among other things, Land’s memo stated.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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If Trump were to order an invasion of Greenland this could theoretically trigger a war with the rest of NATO, as the defense alliance's Article 5 obliges members to come to the assistance of any member state that is attacked.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
10 Mar. 2025
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Meeting Middleton had been on the teen’s bucket list, and in October the princess obliged.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The decision to focus on Bernstein and von Karajan was driven by Danish’s fascination with their contrasting reputations and profound cultural influences.—
Court Stroud,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
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What steps to follow when driving in the rain? Switch on headlights - Even during daylight hours, using headlights can enhance visibility and signal your presence to other drivers.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacramento Bee,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compel. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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