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
This same self-centeredness compels his girlfriend (Olivia Thirlby) to move out of their modest apartment without warning.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
North Carolina requires vaccines without enforcement State law compels North Carolina school principals to require that kindergartners get seven vaccinations within 30 days of the start of the school year.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
One of the most powerful yet underappreciated forces in these dynamics is social identity, the psychological force that compels people to sort themselves into groups and take those group boundaries seriously.
—Justin Angle, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
One scene involves Varang poisoning Quaritch with a mysterious hallucinatory drug that compels him to tell the truth about his motivations.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
Oversight Democrats’ latest press release comes after Congress voted on a bill that compels the Justice Department to release all relevant Epstein files.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 Dec. 2025
The loss of her mother – that wound – compels Aney to a life of service, which in turn leads her to Farida.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2025
The law compels huge tech companies such as Meta and TikTok to enforce age restrictions, or face hefty fines.
—Leigh Kiniry, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
But to the unlikely role of a Bogart-esque reluctant hero, Leonardo DiCaprio brings an intensity that compels even when the script falters.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 8 Dec. 2025
Judy Berman, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
North Carolina requires vaccines without enforcement State law compels North Carolina school principals to require that kindergartners get seven vaccinations within 30 days of the start of the school year.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
One of the most powerful yet underappreciated forces in these dynamics is social identity, the psychological force that compels people to sort themselves into groups and take those group boundaries seriously.
—Justin Angle, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
One scene involves Varang poisoning Quaritch with a mysterious hallucinatory drug that compels him to tell the truth about his motivations.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
Oversight Democrats’ latest press release comes after Congress voted on a bill that compels the Justice Department to release all relevant Epstein files.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 Dec. 2025
The loss of her mother – that wound – compels Aney to a life of service, which in turn leads her to Farida.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2025
The law compels huge tech companies such as Meta and TikTok to enforce age restrictions, or face hefty fines.
—Leigh Kiniry, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
But to the unlikely role of a Bogart-esque reluctant hero, Leonardo DiCaprio brings an intensity that compels even when the script falters.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compels
Verb
-
Orange County’s agreement with ICE only obligates the county to detain up to 114 people, but the county was housing, on average, 140 inmates a day in January and last week, the count hit 182.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The federal law dating back to 1967 obligates government agencies to turn over records to the public with some exceptions.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
13 Dec. 2025
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
-
Hayley obliges, perhaps too enthusiastically, prompting Yasmin to get involved in the action herself so as not to be outdone in the endless game of power play.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The senior wants the ball and Lake Travis obliges in giving it to him.—
Colby Gordon,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Said quest forces her to reexamine a revelatory affair with an RAF pilot, and consider how their engagement’s cruel ending set her on the path to a different sort of fulfillment.—
Hayley Maitland,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The precarious state of her mind forces us to question whether Sylvia and Ted are ghosts, hallucinations or literary inventions sprung to life.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike body composition metrics, BMI obscures the true extent of metabolic dysfunction and cannot distinguish between muscle and fat — or between superficial fat and the visceral fat that drives diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.—
Bret Scher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Some of what also drives Honnold is making the world a better place.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compels. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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