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
This magical compulsion forces Ella to obey any command given to her, no matter how harmful or absurd, and Ella’s cruel stepmother Dame Olga (Joanna Lumley) and wicked stepsisters Hattie (Lucy Punch) and Olive (Jennifer Higham) constantly take advantage.
—
Travis Bean, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Their reunion plays out in real time and is one of Leigh’s most unforgettable scenes, with Blethyn’s unbridled, volcanic emotions matched harmoniously by Jean-Baptiste’s conflicted but unshaken compulsion to stay.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
Read More: Why Eating Disorders Are so Difficult to Treat
The Health Risks
The impact is not only limited to body image, as the compulsion to work out can lead to social isolation and other behaviors that may impact mental health.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
States of flow can lead to productive work sessions or explain your compulsion to endlessly scroll through social media.
—Natalie Wu, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for compulsion 
Travis Bean, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Their reunion plays out in real time and is one of Leigh’s most unforgettable scenes, with Blethyn’s unbridled, volcanic emotions matched harmoniously by Jean-Baptiste’s conflicted but unshaken compulsion to stay.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
Read More: Why Eating Disorders Are so Difficult to Treat
The Health Risks
The impact is not only limited to body image, as the compulsion to work out can lead to social isolation and other behaviors that may impact mental health.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
States of flow can lead to productive work sessions or explain your compulsion to endlessly scroll through social media.
—Natalie Wu, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
Noun
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Not everybody goes through this intense amount of pressure, and on such a scale and in such a spotlight.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
27 Jan. 2025
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Amid pressure from a June 8-10, 2021, Organization of American States mission on the deteriorating political climate in Haiti, Moïse and his supporters knew the political ship was sinking.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But the magic of Presence is its feeling of constraint.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
25 Jan. 2025
-
Keep in mind: The possibility of budget constraints has been on the administration’s radar.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Trumpian theory of politics is about indiscriminate retribution and the use of coercion and humiliation to force far-right policy down the throats of an unwilling public.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
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Tilleman claims that a similar type of coercion happened with Savage.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The number of Indianapolis children lost to gun violence dropped dramatically last year.—
Arika Herron,
Axios,
27 Jan. 2025
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Statistics show that every hour of every day, someone’s spinal cord is injured, with the damage usually occurring due to vehicle crashes, falls, acts of violence, and sports and recreational activities, according to The Miami Project.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near compulsion
Cite this Entry
“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
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