Synonyms of obey

obey

verb

ō-ˈbā 

as in to follow

to act according to the commands of

she taught her dog to obey her when she said "Sit!"

most people obey the law and wear their seat belts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• follow
• observe
• conform (to)
• adhere (to)
• comply (with)
• abide by
• keep to
• mind
• fall in with
• submit (to)
• goose-step (to)
• yield (to)
• surrender (to)
• hear
• defer (to)
• agree (to)
• heed
• watch
• accede (to)
• regard
• take
• listen (to)
• assent (to)
• notice
• attend
• acquiesce (to)
• note
• mark

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disobey
• defy
• refuse
• dare
• challenge
• lead
• rebel (against)
• ignore
• renounce
• direct
• repudiate
• disregard
• violate
• dismiss
• pass over
• overlook
• disoblige
• break
• brush (off)
• transgress
• resist
• wink (at)
• infringe
• oppose
• breach
• flout
• fight
• withstand
• scorn
• mock
• tune out
• revolt (against)
• deride
• scoff (at)
• combat
• shrug off
• contest
• dispute
• overpass
• buck
• pooh-pooh
• mutiny (against)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of obey

As her cabin took on water, Chloe Childress had obeyed Camp Mystic’s one directive to shelter in place. — Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026

When the dragons arrive at the Gullet, any relief felt by Rhaenyra’s troops is fleeting at best — especially when not all of them obey their riders’ wishes, which is how this whole mess began in the first place. — Alison Herman, Variety, 15 June 2026

The known elementary particles and their interactions obey a set of equations called the Standard Model of particle physics. — Quanta Magazine, 15 June 2026

Sunday under a law that generally applies when a driver fails to obey an official traffic-control device. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 15 June 2026