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
Frontline managers who feel obligated to second-guess strategy.
—
Brendan Keegan, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2026
You are not obligated to disclose personal details at work.
—Essence, 26 Jan. 2026
But again, what this is, is these are very diverse communities, and these people feel like they are obligated to put their lives on the line to protect their neighbors.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2026
Snap settled its portion of the suit this week, on undisclosed terms, as the other companies move closer to trial over questions of whether they were obligated to warn schools of their platforms’ negative effects or to implement more restrictions for young users.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obligate
Brendan Keegan, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2026
You are not obligated to disclose personal details at work.
—Essence, 26 Jan. 2026
But again, what this is, is these are very diverse communities, and these people feel like they are obligated to put their lives on the line to protect their neighbors.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2026
Snap settled its portion of the suit this week, on undisclosed terms, as the other companies move closer to trial over questions of whether they were obligated to warn schools of their platforms’ negative effects or to implement more restrictions for young users.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obligate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligate
Verb
-
Last week, the plaintiffs filed a motion seeking to compel production of an unredacted Ohio State Medical Board file concerning its investigation into Strauss that resulted in the suspension of his clinical privileges.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Leaders compelled members to participate in expensive rituals, make lavish donations, and provide the Church with free labor.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The uncle alleged that the donations made by Yamagami’s mother, which by then totalled seven hundred thousand dollars, had been coerced.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Don't let somebody coerce you into scanning them up on the floor, because everybody's trying to get to Coach Prime.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But without any leads nor money to return back to her comfortable life in India, Mehr is forced to work as a housemaid for these eccentric artists Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelley.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Choreographed to perfection, yet not in a way that felt forced in the slightest, Bono and company distilled their brilliant Elevation Tour into a spellbinding three-song set that found the band performing while names of terrorist victims were shown on the big screen.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Marshall, like all the rest of them, was eventually let go for not knowing anything, but not before more time was wasted by detectives, who were obliged to interview most of these sideshows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Hayley obliges, perhaps too enthusiastically, prompting Yasmin to get involved in the action herself so as not to be outdone in the endless game of power play.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obligate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligate. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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