as in convincing
the act of reasoning or pleading with someone to accept a belief or course of action a defense lawyer uses not only legal arguments but also moral suasion to appeal to a jury's sense of right and wrong

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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 suasion For that change to work, however, politicians and other influential figures will need to use moral suasion to attack the cultural fixation on gaining a four-year degree at any cost. Arthur C. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2017 Some will argue that self-expression is the goal, others moral suasion; some will prefer soft power to storming the barricades and some the reverse. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024 Read More: Believing Myths About Aging Makes Growing Old Worse Initially, their belief in moral suasion worked. Rebecca Brannon / Made By History, TIME, 3 July 2024 In this brilliant new look at the destruction of slavery during the American Civil War, Oakes reveals how the U.S. abolitionist movement relied not only on high-minded moral suasion but also on the small-bore legalistic strategy of the Republican Party. James Oakes, Foreign Affairs, 27 Dec. 2012 See All Example Sentences for suasion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suasion
Noun
  • Use your powers of persuasion as Mercury retrograde aligns with Pluto.
    USA TODAY, USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2025
  • Cialdini’s thesis is that there are six fundamental principles of persuasion.
    Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Big chances have almost doubled (1.5 per match to 3), as has Everton’s big-chance conversion rate (21 per cent to 41 per cent).
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • These improvements are likely to boost conversion rates, increase average order values, and improve advertising efficiency both on Amazon’s platform and beyond.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Trump can couple his threats with inducements, including promises to invest in Iran and lift sanctions.
    Dennis Ross, Foreign Affairs, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.
    Jim Sergent, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Suasion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suasion. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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