1
as in convincing
the act of reasoning or pleading with someone to accept a belief or course of action
the suffragists' gradual persuasion of the American people that voting rights had to be extended to women
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in religion
a body of beliefs and practices regarding the supernatural and the worship of one or more deities
debating theology with someone of a different persuasion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in belief
an idea that is believed to be true or valid without positive knowledge
he's of the persuasion that everything that happens in this world is part of a divine plan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in effectiveness
the capacity to persuade
there was an inherent persuasion in his sonorous voice that made listeners put aside any misgivings about his message
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of persuasion
If one partner hesitates, resist the urge to fill the space with persuasion.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
But whoever said that is clearly not of the female persuasion.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
And the amount of self-persuasion that goes into convincing yourself to do something like that might be a problem.
—Big Think, 3 Sep. 2025
Knowledge-wise, science may be advancing, but, politically, its powers of persuasion are in retreat, in a moment defined, in many ways, by ignorance and narrow-minded grievance.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persuasion
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
But whoever said that is clearly not of the female persuasion.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
And the amount of self-persuasion that goes into convincing yourself to do something like that might be a problem.
—Big Think, 3 Sep. 2025
Knowledge-wise, science may be advancing, but, politically, its powers of persuasion are in retreat, in a moment defined, in many ways, by ignorance and narrow-minded grievance.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persuasion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persuasion
Noun
-
Forcing our religion down their throats does not show love.—
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Liam Adams covers religion for The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network.—
Liam Adams,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This result should give Spurs and Frank belief.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
-
These confrontations positioned Kirk as accessible and confident in his polarizing beliefs and created a sense of intellectual challenge that appealed to competitive young students.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Element Human, which uses behavioral AI to measure creative effectiveness, analyzed a recent Jake collaboration with creator Daniel LaBelle.—
Jamie Gutfreund,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Injection wells could also help reduce Arizona’s carbon footprint through carbon capture, though some scientists question that technology’s effectiveness.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The veteran running back finished with a team-high 88 receiving yards, including a career-long catch of 55 that gave way to a touchdown and a two-point conversion.—
Oliver Thomas,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Barcelona’s municipal government, which has been contending with a housing crisis that stems, in part, from the conversion of many apartments into Airbnbs, has yet to decide whether to allow the demolition, but Sagrada Família officials are resolute.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Both flopped but have since achieved cult status.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
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The cult-classic also starred Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The views and opinions expressed are not those of Newsweek and are not an endorsement of the products, services or persons mentioned.—
Michaila Byrne,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But Putin cannot have needed much persuading to agree to a formal invitation to the US to have the bilateral meeting his team have long held out as the way towards peace in Ukraine.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
9 Aug. 2025
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In the framework of conversational intelligence, most workplace communication falls into Level 1 (telling) or Level 2 (persuading).—
Susan Curtin,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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With these factors all in mind, clips from the Vegas opening are obviously being heavily scrutinized in Motley Crue fan forums.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
14 Sep. 2025
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Put yourself into unknown territory and open up your mind, spirit and vision.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persuasion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persuasion. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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