- 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.
There are few artists, let alone individuals of any stripe, whose loss compels a national day of mourning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
A subpoena compels a party to release specified internal documents or information.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
The written word compels you to think and a heightened conscience is one of the essential elements required to bring about change.
From Barron's ● May 21, 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
“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
