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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obey
He is told by the officer on the phone to obey police at the scene, but continues to resist.
—
Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
From Shakespearean comedies to Disney fairy tales, the sign of a life well lived is so often a woman standing by a man, vowing to obey and sealed with wedding bells.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
With analog simulators, physicists map a quantum system of interest onto an analogous system — one that obeys equations of the same form but is easier to configure and observe in a lab.
—Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
The 40-neutron island of inversion is reportedly a region of the nuclear chart where protons and neutrons no longer obey the usual shell structure seen in stable elements.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obey
Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
From Shakespearean comedies to Disney fairy tales, the sign of a life well lived is so often a woman standing by a man, vowing to obey and sealed with wedding bells.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
With analog simulators, physicists map a quantum system of interest onto an analogous system — one that obeys equations of the same form but is easier to configure and observe in a lab.
—Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
The 40-neutron island of inversion is reportedly a region of the nuclear chart where protons and neutrons no longer obey the usual shell structure seen in stable elements.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obey
follow
Verb
-
Shut out of control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, Democrats are seeking to rebuild their brand with the American electorate following a poor performance during the 2024 presidential election.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Never follow your boyfriend to college, especially a seemingly mediocre college, as Belly does with Jeremiah to the fictional Finch.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obey. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share