as in friendly
willing to do a favor
an obliging concierge used her pull to get us reservations at the town's hottest restaurant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in accommodating
to do a service or favor for
I would appreciate it greatly if you could oblige me by bringing a dessert to the party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in coercing
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
I know you're in a hurry, but you can't oblige me to drive any faster than the speed limit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of obliging
Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
Aguilar soaked in the moment, obliging for every photo request and a couple of media interviews.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
After obliging, the rapper started to riff by adding some new insults.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obliging
Adjective
To such a request, the world is obliging.
—Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
Aguilar soaked in the moment, obliging for every photo request and a couple of media interviews.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
The article is the key mutual defense clause, obliging all member countries to come to the aid of another member whose sovereignty or territorial integrity might be under threat.
—Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
After obliging, the rapper started to riff by adding some new insults.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obliging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliging
Adjective
-
Don’t overlook any of these taxpayer-friendly changes, including the higher income limits for the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, for people living in states with higher taxes.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
After this, Roggeveen decided to send two sloops and three other boats to shore and make friendly introductions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The restroom restrictions were abruptly added to a bill that had been solely focused on prohibiting the Department of Revenue from accommodating gender marker change requests on state identification documents.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The airline's previous policy was remarkably accommodating—passengers who needed extra space could either purchase a second seat in advance and receive a full refund, or simply request an extra seat at the gate at no charge.—
Roger Dooley,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The decision typically comes down to whether the government is coercing the public and specifics about who's involved and the intent.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Investigators accuse him of coercing middle school football players to perform nude exercises in a locker room and secretly photographing them in various stages of undress.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Parents are questioning whether four years and six figures are worth it, especially as campuses are increasingly overtaken by chaos, radical activism, and administrators more concerned with appeasing ideological mobs than educating students.—
Riley Gaines OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 Jan. 2026
-
And yet, beneath the veil of politeness, there was rhetoric from the US president that suggests his default position in negotiations is still to pressure Kyiv, while appeasing Moscow.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In 1969, the Shah of Iran commissioned Leleu to make 51 tents for a sprawling installation commemorating the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire—after three years, however, the bill was never paid, forcing the company to shut down.—
Stephanie Sporn,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In 1979, a severe storm caused the roof of Kemper Arena to collapse, forcing the Kings to play at Municipal Auditorium, a much smaller venue that seated about 10,000 fans.—
Alexa Stone,
Kansas City Star,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Tennessee National Guard said about 170 soldiers and airmen were assisting with recovery efforts, including helping more than 200 people stranded in vehicles and homes and providing rides to nearly 300 emergency and health care workers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
-
After college, and a short stint assisting an old school talent agent in Manhattan, Emanuel headed to Hollywood.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In season four, Mike’s (Renner) control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Jan. 2026
-
In Season 4 of Mayor of Kingstown, Mike’s (Renner) control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Church’s has been delighting customers since 1952, when the first location opened in San Antonio.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Sabara led Riley onto the stage, delighting Trainor and her fellow judges.—
Emily Krauser,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obliging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliging. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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