as in obligates
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
public opinion compelled her to fire her scandal-plagued aide
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Recent Examples of compels
Yet the Gospel compels us to do just that.
—
William E. Lori, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
Perhaps that’s what compels me, somewhere in the middle of our lunch, to unmask.
—Zeba Blay, SELF, 21 Apr. 2026
Combined with Angel and Rue’s drive through the desert, Levinson seems to be pointing at the hollowness of the American Dream, which compels a person to risk their life, only to end up photographing dumb bimbos for OnlyFans.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
DeSantis has avoided saying that lawmakers should be redrawing the map for partisan gains, instead saying a looming decision from the Supreme Court on the Voting Rights Act compels the state to redistrict.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2026
Shameful pride compels me to say there are only about 300 players in the Hall of Fame.
—Ron Mix, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
But the implicit argument, that Colorado law effectively compels Jeffco to violate Title IX, is a major, predictable indictment of our legislature.
—Lisa Frizell, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
This trust compels me to fight for the freedom Rutherford County read freely.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
The New York Times is seeking a new order that compels Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s team to rescind a set of press access restrictions that a federal judge ruled unconstitutional last week.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2026
William E. Lori, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
Perhaps that’s what compels me, somewhere in the middle of our lunch, to unmask.
—Zeba Blay, SELF, 21 Apr. 2026
Combined with Angel and Rue’s drive through the desert, Levinson seems to be pointing at the hollowness of the American Dream, which compels a person to risk their life, only to end up photographing dumb bimbos for OnlyFans.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
DeSantis has avoided saying that lawmakers should be redrawing the map for partisan gains, instead saying a looming decision from the Supreme Court on the Voting Rights Act compels the state to redistrict.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2026
Shameful pride compels me to say there are only about 300 players in the Hall of Fame.
—Ron Mix, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
But the implicit argument, that Colorado law effectively compels Jeffco to violate Title IX, is a major, predictable indictment of our legislature.
—Lisa Frizell, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
This trust compels me to fight for the freedom Rutherford County read freely.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
The New York Times is seeking a new order that compels Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s team to rescind a set of press access restrictions that a federal judge ruled unconstitutional last week.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compels
Verb
-
Iran is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that obligates it not to enrich uranium for military purposes.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The collective defense clause, if invoked by a member state, obligates all other members of the transatlantic alliance to treat an attack on one as an attack on all.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
However, the rotation of this filament clearly dominates how the galaxies within it spin, perhaps by funneling hydrogen gas along the dark-matter filament and onto the galaxies in a way that coerces their spin while providing further fuel for star formation.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
4 Dec. 2025
-
Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, Ali, a university professor, coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Finally, the series rests on the shoulders of the three principal players, who are just a pleasure to watch; the camera obliges by moving in close.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The 2026 Ram 1500 definitely obliges in that comfort.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
New Yorkers deserve a system that protects them before harm occurs — not one that forces them to fight for years to reclaim what was already theirs.—
Darlene Mealy,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
In her latest Netflix action effort, Theron plays a woman who sets off on a trip to Australia to soothe her grief but unwittingly crosses paths with Egerton’s unnerving hunter, who forces her into a game of cat and mouse.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Imagining an eternity of this, Creasy disables his car’s braking system and drives into a concrete pylon.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during game five of the first round playoffs against the Orlando Magic last night.—
Sahil Kapur,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And so, our mission – grounded in both truth and love – impels us to discern the motives that shape events, and the shifts in thought that drive human progress through higher ideals of justice, mercy, and wisdom.—
Christa Case Bryant,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compels. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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