- present tense form of compel (3rd person singular).
compels
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jaques posited that middle age compels people to lean in to “the tragic, reflective and philosophical.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
A subpoena compels a party to release specified internal documents or information.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
It is, as yet, a dud — a $2,000 slot machine that pays out a Community Note dressed as a verdict, in a process that compels nothing and binds no one.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
And yet, it’s rare to find a storefront that compels me to pause and look, as so few display anything other than exactly what is on the racks inside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
“It should be clear,” Kennedy wrote, “that United States Government action regarding the Alabama schools will come only if Governor Wallace compels it.”
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
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