| Main Entry: | compel |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | force to act |
Synonyms: |
bulldoze, coerce, concuss, constrain, crack down, dragoon, drive, enforce, exact, hustle, impel, make, make necessary, necessitate, oblige, put the arm on, put the chill on, restrain, shotgun, squeeze, throw weight around, turn on the heat, urge |
| Notes: | impel means to urge or encourage while compel means to take action as a result of pressure or coercion; impel is very similar in meaning to compel but suggests even more strongly an inner drive to do something and often a greater urgency in the desire to act |
Antonyms: |
block, check, delay, deter, hinder, impede, obstruct, stop |
| Main Entry: | enforce |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | put a rule, plan in force |
Synonyms: |
accomplish, administer, administrate, apply, carry out, coerce, commandeer, compel, constrain, crack down, demand, dictate, discharge, dragoon, drive, effect, egg on, emphasize, exact, execute, exert, expect, extort, force upon, fortify, fulfill, goad, hound, impel, implement, impose, incite, insist on, invoke, lash, lean on, make, necessitate, oblige, perform, press, prosecute, put into effect, put screws to, reinforce, require, sanction, spur, strain, stress, strong-arm, support, urge, whip, wrest |
Antonyms: |
abandon, disregard, drop, forego, forget, give up, neglect, overlook |
| Main Entry: | restrain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | keep under control; hold back |
Synonyms: |
arrest, bind, bottle up, box up, bridle, chain, check, choke back, circumscribe, confine, constrain, contain, control, cool*, cork, crack down, curb, curtail, debar, delimit, detain, deter, direct, fetter, gag, govern, guide, hamper, handicap, harness, hem in, hinder, hogtie, hold, impound, imprison, inhibit, jail, keep, keep down, keep in line, kill*, limit, lock up, manacle, muzzle, pinion, prevent, proscribe, pull back, repress, restrict, sit on, stay, subdue, suppress, tie down, tie up |
Antonyms: |
free, liberate, release |
| Main Entry: | stifle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | prevent, restrain |
Synonyms: |
asphyxiate, black out, bring to screeching halt, burke, check, choke, choke back, clam up, clamp down, constipate, cork, cover up, crack down, curb, dry up, extinguish, gag, hold it down, hush, hush up, kill*, muffle, muzzle, put the lid on, repress, shut up, silence, sit on, smother, spike, squash, squelch, stagnate, stop, strangle, stultify, suffocate, suppress, torpedo, trammel |
Antonyms: |
encourage, help, persuade |