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
Meanwhile, the Taiwan Relations Act obligates Washington to provide the island with defensive weapons.
—
Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
Trump could ask the Supreme Court to hear his appeal, but that court is not obligated to do so.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 13 June 2025
Hospitals must be legally obligated to transfer emergency patients to the nearest capable facility, regardless of network affiliation.
—Sean M. Cleary, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2025
For its part, Apple is attempting to quickly shift its production capacity to India over the next few years with the goal of producing 25% of its iPhones there to avoid being obligated to pay steep import taxes.
—Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Quartz, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for obligate
Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
Trump could ask the Supreme Court to hear his appeal, but that court is not obligated to do so.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 13 June 2025
Hospitals must be legally obligated to transfer emergency patients to the nearest capable facility, regardless of network affiliation.
—Sean M. Cleary, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2025
For its part, Apple is attempting to quickly shift its production capacity to India over the next few years with the goal of producing 25% of its iPhones there to avoid being obligated to pay steep import taxes.
—Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Quartz, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for obligate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligate
Verb
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Female clients of mine have also reported feeling compelled to embrace more traditionally feminine roles.—
Jerry Colonna,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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However, the Supreme Court ruled that lawsuits to compel states to enforce Medicaid law—a federal statute—aren’t valid.—
Essence,
Essence,
27 June 2025
Verb
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In some cases, governments even coerce companies into accepting artificially low prices by threatening to violate their patents and allow other manufacturers to produce copycat drugs.—
Rosa Mendoza,
Boston Herald,
16 June 2025
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Geragos has tried to portray Jane as a willing participant in encounters with male escorts and entertainers while Diddy watched, to undermine prosecution claims that she was coerced and trafficked.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Vulture,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Damaging Iran’s nuclear facilities, decapitating its leadership structure, and repeatedly disrupting its enrichment efforts forces Tehran into a permanent state of caution.—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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The murder thrusts Zhan-Zhou into the spotlight and the court of public opinion, forcing her towards a fate intertwined with that of her own country.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
23 June 2025
Verb
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The Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to oblige the governor’s request.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
25 June 2025
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But when Cadence refuses to oblige Harris, the patriarch remains tight-lipped to maintain the family’s shiny reputation, in true Sinclair fashion.—
Alyssa Davis,
People.com,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obligate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligate. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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