How to Use compel in a Sentence
compel
verb
- Illness compelled him to stay in bed.
- We took steps to compel their cooperation.
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Everyone knew the words and felt compelled to join in on the fun.
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Ben Crandell,
sun-sentinel.com,
16 Nov. 2019
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For a large part of my life, I felt compelled to pick at my zits.
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Emily Gaudette,
SELF,
15 Apr. 2019
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That compelled her to throw her hat into the ring against Knight.
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Jeffrey Mervis,
Science | AAAS,
15 June 2018
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Grief over her death compelled me to leave my longtime home on the N.C. coast.
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Liz Biro,
Indianapolis Star,
7 Apr. 2020
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For the non-car people, they will be compelled by the back story.
—
Charles Fleming,
latimes.com,
27 Apr. 2018
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More recently, the Jets felt compelled to jump three slots to snag the No.
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Dan Bickley,
azcentral,
22 Mar. 2018
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That said… The main concern is that the new kids on the block seem compelled to record and share their antics.
—
The Salt Lake Tribune,
1 Aug. 2023
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The older players see it and have to be compelled to stay on top of their games.
—
Susan Miller Degnan,
miamiherald,
5 Nov. 2017
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When the elite fail to lead, grassroots movements must compel them to do so.
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Paul Laudicina,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2022
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So there was a bit of a blank space in my knowledge of Thai food, and I was compelled to learn more about it.
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Jessica Carbone,
Saveur,
18 Apr. 2024
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Like, what compels a man to turn his headwear away from his face?
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Candace Buckner,
Washington Post,
20 June 2024
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But with a tip section still on the receipt, Mr. Ellsworth felt compelled to tip.
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Ali Martin,
The Christian Science Monitor,
20 Sep. 2023
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But there has to be a present-day urgency compelling the return to the past.
—
Cressida Leyshon,
The New Yorker,
31 July 2023
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Not until the evening, in fact, was the low prevailing mood compelled to lift.
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Anthony Lane,
The New Yorker,
5 Aug. 2024
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Imperati filed a motion to compel him to turn over the filings.
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Kelan Lyons,
courant.com,
5 Nov. 2020
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The crushing new wave of attacks appear to have compelled the rebels to accept the deal.
—
Bassem Mroue,
Fox News,
6 July 2018
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If the residence doesn’t meet city code, the city can compel the landlord to fix the issues.
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Nyssa Kruse,
Arkansas Online,
23 Nov. 2020
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And Christians do not have to power to compel us to believe.
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David Harsanyi,
National Review,
17 Nov. 2020
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The board has no power to ask or compel Lowery to resign.
—
Michael Williams,
Dallas News,
24 Aug. 2023
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Bolstered by the response, he was compelled to rush out the song as his new single.
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Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
29 Sep. 2023
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Lebanon filed suit last month in an effort to compel Wolf to release the funding.
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USA TODAY,
17 Aug. 2020
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This transit can compel us to act first and think later.
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Venus Australis,
refinery29.com,
5 Apr. 2020
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August-October is the best time to go, just in case you are compelled to book a flight now.
—
Danielle Pointdujour,
Essence,
17 July 2019
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Being a first-grade teacher for many years and a mother of six, I felt compelled to send it to you.
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Heloise,
Houston Chronicle,
3 June 2018
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Maybe the court will compel the Department of Mental Health to help him.
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Thomas Curwen,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2024
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And what of the government’s power to compel service in wartime?
—
al,
11 Sep. 2021
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Neither Swift nor promoter Barracuda Music were legally compelled to stop it, but the decision, the experts say, comes down to common sense.
—
Mac William Bishop,
Rolling Stone,
9 Aug. 2024
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Given the number of memes and videos in circulation comparing the HBO comedy series to Harris’ rise, the show’s creator felt compelled last month to state the obvious.
—
Elizabeth Wagmeister,
CNN,
13 Aug. 2024
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'compel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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