Compulsions are strong, often uncontrollable urges to do something. They can be both positive and negative, such as the urge to help others or the urge to harm oneself. The term 'compulsions' can be broken down into two crossword solutions: 'urges' (5 letters) and 'YENS' (4 letters). 'Urges' refers to an intense desire to do something, while 'YENS' is a Japanese word that means a strong feeling of wanting something. Both words can be used to describe the same concept of compulsive behavior.