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
In a free society, the marketplace of ideas should be supported by choice, not compulsion.
—
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2025
Medium spiny neurons play an important role in habit formation, the process by which a behavior becomes automatic and habitual – think compulsions.
—Carol Mathews, The Conversation, 13 May 2025
Even then, lawmakers couldn’t resist the compulsion to split hairs.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2025
Medium spiny neurons play an important role in habit formation, the process by which a behavior becomes automatic and habitual – think compulsions.
—Carol Mathews, The Conversation, 13 May 2025
Even then, lawmakers couldn’t resist the compulsion to split hairs.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
This era demonstrated how hegemony involves more than coercion.—
Andrew Latham,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
-
Ventura Fine finally came forward in November 2023, filing a lawsuit alleging that Combs kept her locked in the abusive relationship through frequent beatings, coercion, control over her career and blackmail.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Despite their fierce appearances, many of the barbers who work at Liem’s shops are soft-spoken and humble and reject any perceptions of violence and crime.—
Stephanie Yang,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
-
His team of workers does round-the-clock work to tackle the root causes of community violence, leading peer-to-peer support and group therapy sessions.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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