as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
in that class I read books under compulsion that I ordinarily wouldn't have considered
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Recent Examples of compulsion
Books The Faithless Generation Traditional religion thrives in stable communities, not a world where innovators aim to ‘break things.’
Books
Lies, Damned Lies, and Ideology
John O’Sullivan
The ideological lie persists, demanding compulsion to enforce its vision.
—
Paul Baumann, National Review, 17 Apr. 2025
For this novel’s narrator, no effort is too great to ascertain the truth, even if the work becomes a compulsion.
—Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2025
Every Wednesday, women in Iran would film videos of themselves walking unveiled, a peaceful protest against compulsion.
—Katrina Kaufman, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2025
Creating collages is almost a compulsion, a way for Jarmusch to escape from the world and nestle into self-reflection.
—Renée Reizman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Paul Baumann, National Review, 17 Apr. 2025
For this novel’s narrator, no effort is too great to ascertain the truth, even if the work becomes a compulsion.
—Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2025
Every Wednesday, women in Iran would film videos of themselves walking unveiled, a peaceful protest against compulsion.
—Katrina Kaufman, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2025
Creating collages is almost a compulsion, a way for Jarmusch to escape from the world and nestle into self-reflection.
—Renée Reizman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
Noun
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The France captain arrived last summer with pressure on his shoulders from being a longstanding target for the club and its president, Florentino Perez, since his breakthrough at Monaco in 2016-17.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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These memory foam flip-flops have arch support that’ll help relieve pressure on your joints, according to the brand.—
Rylee Johnston,
Travel + Leisure,
27 May 2025
Noun
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But there’s only so much that educators and parents can achieve by working together if city and state leaders are not willing to face hard problems and revenue constraints.—
Milly Arciniegas,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2025
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There is no administrative independence, there are no limitations, there are no regulatory constraints in this government‘s view, only tools to be used as necessary.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
26 May 2025
Noun
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On May 13, Ventura described a relationship marked by emotional abuse and coercion.—
Danielle Bacher,
People.com,
17 May 2025
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The #MeToo movement, in particular, has laid bare the culture of coercion and abuse that permeates every institution and created space for women to feel supported by online communities.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
17 May 2025
Noun
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On the agenda: discussions about the various ways antisemitic rhetoric can lead to violence.—
Andrew Lapin,
Sun Sentinel,
27 May 2025
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Gun violence in the US Thousands of people die from firearm injuries in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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