COMPULSION Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

compulsion

noun

kəm-ˈpəl-shən

Definition of compulsion

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of compulsion These obsessions lead you to do repetitive behaviors, also called compulsions. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026 At a time like this, poetry must embrace a compulsion for awareness. — Literary Hub, 26 June 2026 There’s this prevailing sentiment of perseverance in spite of grief, and a compulsion to dedicate his success to those who witnessed the journey. — Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026 In the nineteen-seventies, hospice care evolved as more people resisted the compulsion to extend life at all costs, preferring instead to focus on dying comfortably, often at home. — Sunita Puri, New Yorker, 6 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for compulsion

Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion

Noun

Another shoe will drop for SpaceX this week when close to a billion shares held by insiders can be sold for the first time on Thursday, which traditionally puts downward pressure on newly IPOed company stock prices.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
His government has rarely been seen to yield to public pressure.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of pressure

Noun

Joe Biden’s halt to on-shore oil drilling had zero impact on domestic oil prices, post-pandemic demand surges or global supply constraints, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine did.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
Residents have voiced opposition against data centers in the city amid concerns over environmental impacts and resource constraints.

— Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of constraint

Noun

In Season 1, Sugar was hard-edged and assertive; the kind of private investigator who leads with intimidation and meets aggression with equal aggression.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026
In March 2026, Didulo’s and Manz’s charges for intimidation of a justice-system participant were shelved due to lack of evidence, though prosecutors have one year to refile.

— Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of intimidation

Noun

Senior leadership from Pakistan and Turkey departed for Saudi Arabia this week, where they are expected to sign a trilateral defense deal as regional violence flares.

— Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Health officials say the mistrust has also made contact tracing and early treatment more difficult, particularly in remote communities affected by rebel violence.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of violence

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comps

compulsion

compulsions

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“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of compulsion

noun

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