1
as in duty
something one must do because of prior agreement
their financial obligations keep them from giving to charities as much as they would like
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in debt
something (as money) which is owed
I have to pay off my current obligations before I can buy a new car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of obligation
Officials are instructed to review not only criminal history but also attributes such as community involvement, family responsibilities, educational achievements, employment history, length of lawful residence, and compliance with tax obligations.
—
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
There are exceptions — Douglas Luiz, the Brazil international midfielder set to join on loan from Juventus with an obligation/option to make the move permanent for €30m (£26m; $35m) — is 27 years old.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Stories are rife in the founder community of investors who inadvertently create additional obligations, such as asking for an ad hoc catch-up or pushing an introduction onto a founder.
—Ray Zhou, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Many people with fewer financial and familial obligations experience a sense of being untethered, with more resources but less direction.
—Jessi Chad, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obligation
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
There are exceptions — Douglas Luiz, the Brazil international midfielder set to join on loan from Juventus with an obligation/option to make the move permanent for €30m (£26m; $35m) — is 27 years old.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Stories are rife in the founder community of investors who inadvertently create additional obligations, such as asking for an ad hoc catch-up or pushing an introduction onto a founder.
—Ray Zhou, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Many people with fewer financial and familial obligations experience a sense of being untethered, with more resources but less direction.
—Jessi Chad, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obligation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligation
Noun
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There are examples of when the lines between official duties and personal time are blurred, Terr said.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
21 Aug. 2025
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Following weeks of escalating tensions, Beijing and Washington agreed in May to suspend the hefty duties and loosen several punitive measures imposed in April, as both sides continued to work on hammering out a durable deal.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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However, other forms of debt on your personal balance sheet should be avoided at all costs.—
Jonathan I. Shenkman,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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The nonprofit acquires the debts from hospital systems and providers, with $100 typically buying $10,000 worth of medical debt, Sesso said.—
Beth Warren,
The Tennessean,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Injecting any amount of mercury into children when safe, mercury-free alternatives exist defies common sense and public health responsibility.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
Freep.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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Under its mandate issued by the Security Council, it is not empowered to enforce peace: The responsibility for implementing the resolution, and achieving lasting security and stability, lies squarely with the parties themselves.—
Jean-Pierre Lacroix,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Instead, a spokesperson for the department instead stressed the need for stability in the West Bank.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
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The need for an athletic midfielder and perhaps a reliable goalkeeper remains but this now feels like a squad with enough depth for a no-European-games campaign.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Without such a commitment from his allies, Zelensky has argued that Ukraine cannot agree to any peace deal, because it would be based on little more than Putin’s word.—
Simon Shuster,
Time,
19 Aug. 2025
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Cheng: The Trump administration needs to make a programmatic commitment to some goal, whether the Moon or Mars.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obligation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligation. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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