as in to compel
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
the problem is of your own making, so don't think that you can obligate me to help
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Recent Examples of obligate
Huang has felt obligated to respond to critics who warn of job losses and threats to humanity itself.
—
Josh Boak, Fortune, 17 June 2026
Musicians aren’t obligated to do anything political as part of the job, and plenty of audiences appreciate when artists don’t preach partisan points of view.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026
The port’s existing agreement with the fuel yard’s operator runs through May 2027, and the new owners are obligated to let fuel sales continue under that contract.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 June 2026
Analogously, the Big 12 could assert that it is obligated to take action against Texas Tech, and that failure to do so would undermine its own bylaws.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for obligate
Josh Boak, Fortune, 17 June 2026
Musicians aren’t obligated to do anything political as part of the job, and plenty of audiences appreciate when artists don’t preach partisan points of view.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026
The port’s existing agreement with the fuel yard’s operator runs through May 2027, and the new owners are obligated to let fuel sales continue under that contract.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 June 2026
Analogously, the Big 12 could assert that it is obligated to take action against Texas Tech, and that failure to do so would undermine its own bylaws.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for obligate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligate
Verb
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The labor shortage could compel the Kremlin to recruit more labor from India, North Korea and various African nations to ease pressures on both the civilian and military sectors.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Residents in Miami-Dade's Redland area are mobilizing to compel county officials to allocate dedicated annual funding for road resurfacing and maintenance, citing dangerous and deep potholes that frequently damage vehicles.—
Steve Maugeri,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The bill is bipartisan, and the Republican Cruz previously criticized the Republican Carr for coercing ABC into suspending Jimmy Kimmel.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 June 2026
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But the judges said Thursday there was no evidence of torture and that investigators did not appear to have coerced the confessions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Verb
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In 1976, the Bicentennial followed the traumas of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal that had forced President Richard Nixon's resignation.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
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An uncontained blaze in Utah’s Juab County has scorched 34 square miles, forcing the evacuation of Eureka and nearby ranches as firefighters race to shield homes amid fierce winds.—
Valerie Gonzalez,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
Verb
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Digital services are also obliged to implement an age verification mechanism that goes beyond self-declaration that the user is over 18 to protect them from accessing inappropriate or prohibited material.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
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There was a time—not so very long ago—when world leaders felt obliged to lie to us.—
Rosa Brooks,
Washington Post,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obligate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligate. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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