COMPELLING Synonyms: 125 Similar and Opposite Words

compelling 1 of 2

adjective

kəm-ˈpe-liŋ

Definition of compelling

as in convincing

having the power to persuade made a compelling argument against military intervention

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in urgent

needing immediate attention no compelling need to raise taxes at this time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

compelling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of compel

as in forcing

to cause (a person) to give in to pressure public opinion compelled her to fire her scandal-plagued aide

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 compelling

Adjective

For the third straight year, BNY found that AI ranked as the most compelling investment theme for the next five years, cited by 68% of respondents. — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 But none of that martial-arts mayhem is as compelling as the battle being waged behind the scenes as director Kitao Sakurai tries to insert his irreverent, ironic approach into a property resistant to that kind of impish goofing around. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Verb

Cruise portrays Digger Rockwell, an eccentric oil magnate whose decisions put the world on the brink of catastrophe, ultimately compelling him to embark on an improbable mission to rescue humanity. — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026 His mission is to keep photos of the lounge off social media, compelling the curious to come in and see it for themselves. — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for compelling

Recent Examples of Synonyms for compelling

Adjective

The show doesn’t mount a convincing case that there is more to him than that.

— Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Be suspicious of unexpected security alerts A real cybersecurity incident gives scammers an opportunity to send convincing fake breach notifications.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of convincing

Adjective

These appointments focus on urgent relief, but appointments and follow-ups that take a more preventative approach to identify underlying causes are available, too.

— Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 14 Oct. 2026
A week ago, a call between the US president and his Russian counterpart seemed to be about an urgent clarification over a possible outbreak of plague in Siberia.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of urgent

Verb

The French broadcaster said the cyberattack involved forcing a continuous defrost cycle, setting temperatures to 50°C (122°F).

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
Andrés Zamora, Secuoya Studios’ director of global sales and distribution, said such deals underline the role distribution can play in financing projects, while also forcing producers to defend their position.

— Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of forcing

Adjective

Some experiments also indicate improvement in markers of inflammation, though, here, as with many areas, the findings are not conclusive, says Lee.

— Will Stone, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026
The reply from John Thorn, the official historian of Major League Baseball, was far less conclusive.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of conclusive

Adjective

The cause was determined to be a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma with acute lung injury while fighting cold-like symptoms.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Other medications are used to treat acute relapses or manage symptoms such as fatigue, walking difficulties, spasticity and bladder problems.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of acute

Verb

In lawsuits filed last year, Chegg and PMC accused Google of abusing its monopoly power by coercing publishers into supplying content for AI Overviews for free, or risk disappearing from search results.

— Emma Roth, The Verge, 1 Oct. 2026
Playing that cat, a work camp warden coercing Hawke’s character into smuggling gold through the wilderness, is none other than Russell Crowe.

— Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of coercing

Adjective

But zest was one of just two strengths (the other is hope) that had the strongest relationship to mental well-being across countries and age groups.

— Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
However, some safety advocates and Senator Maria Cantwell want a stronger federal review process.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of strong

Verb

Recipe development can be a self-effacing task, obliging the writer to anticipate the appetites and routines of her imagined reader.

— Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
First is to prevent their further migration by enforcing an international treaty obliging national authorities to treat ballast waters inside incoming ships that may carry such species.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026

Definition of obliging

Browse Nearby Words

compelled

compelling

compels

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Compelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compelling. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of compelling

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fervid

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes