compel

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.

First Minister John Swinney has defended his plan to compel supermarkets to cap the price of some groceries following criticism from business groups.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

If courts allow his suit to proceed, they will finally compel immigration agents to operate within the Constitution—or face consequences for defying it.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

The Times asked the court to compel the Pentagon to comply with the ruling, alleging it was “contemptuously defying” the recent decision, “both in letter and spirit.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Rate traders, meanwhile, are digesting minutes of the Fed’s March policy meeting, in which a growing number of officials said war-related inflation might compel the need for interest-rate hikes before the end of the year.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

“You thought Father Olufemi would be clever enough to orchestrate such things? You thought he could compel warriors to kill their own for nearly a century undetected?”

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray