as in compelling
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in driving
to set or keep in motion
gasoline impels a car's engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forcing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
I felt impelled to tell the truth, however painful it might be
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impelling
Elizabeth Mata, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
This is a very forward-impelling perspective to come to.
—Elizabeth Mata, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impelling
Adjective
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No one in the East has been dominant in the first round, so the Knicks entering the second round on a three-game winning streak is compelling.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
2 May 2026
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Verb
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After organizers failed to seek authorisation for the event, 600 police officers were deployed on Friday, issuing dozens of fines mainly for the possession of narcotics and driving offences.—
Niamh Kennedy,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
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The guard has a knack of driving past the point of attack for her own shot or a drive-and-kick opportunity for her teammates.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Things quickly changed, however, as Orlando’s defense stopped forcing turnovers and its offense came to a halt.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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The staff union picketed outside the SAG-AFTRA building, where those negotiations were held for the first two weeks, blocking entrances to the parking garage and forcing negotiators to cross a picket line to get inside.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Part of this is by design, from long corridors to the conspicuous absence of clocks, and the hour of the day doesn’t seem as important once inside the terminal.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
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There were other conspicuous blunders, like passing from midair out of jumpers and right to Lakers defenders.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Verb
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He was instructed to respond by moving his eyes from left to right, and sure enough, the researchers counted two rightward movements of his eyes.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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The sophisticated set by ace production designer David Gropman enables Altman’s perpetually moving and zooming camera to drift in and out of two-way mirrors that depict memories and fantasies with both immediacy and a gauzy nostalgia.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Prior to his 2011 conviction, Jeffs was charged and convicted of being an accomplice to rape in September 2007 after coercing a 14-year-old to marry her 19-year-old cousin, though the ruling was later overturned by the Utah Supreme Court over faulty jury instructions, according to CBS News.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
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Indonesia responded the following day by coercing the UDT and APODETI, among others, into issuing and signing the Balibo Declaration, which proclaimed the integration of East Timor into Indonesia.—
Agathe Demarolle,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In one of the evening’s most striking moments, Raman accused Bass and Pratt of working together to attack her.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Tucked into the waterfront of the beloved oceanside town of Bar Harbor, West Street Hotel boasts lavish guest rooms with striking views of meandering sailboats and the craggy Atlantic coast.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Moët & Chandon, which became the official Champagne sponsor of Formula 1 in 2025, is activating ahead of the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, with focuses both on and off the tracks.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
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The same study notes that the hormonal cascade may even dull pain by activating peripheral nerves and autonomic pathways.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impelling. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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