as in obsessive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge
his compulsive clowning around can sometimes be annoying
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Recent Examples of compulsive
Burse points out that ignoring pain or sickness to stick to a workout plan is a red flag for compulsive behavior.
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Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Jack’s hunt for the treasure is seen as compulsive, almost an addiction, which triggered conflicting emotions in the filmmaker.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Mar. 2025
This has driven the island to increase defense spending in recent years and extend compulsive military service to one year from four months.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
And with conditions like OCD, suppressing anxiety can lead to compulsive behaviors—such as repeating certain phrases or avoiding specific people or places—in an attempt to neutralize fear, which often backfires and worsens it.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsive
Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Jack’s hunt for the treasure is seen as compulsive, almost an addiction, which triggered conflicting emotions in the filmmaker.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Mar. 2025
This has driven the island to increase defense spending in recent years and extend compulsive military service to one year from four months.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
And with conditions like OCD, suppressing anxiety can lead to compulsive behaviors—such as repeating certain phrases or avoiding specific people or places—in an attempt to neutralize fear, which often backfires and worsens it.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsive
Cite this Entry
“Compulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsive. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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