1
as in mandatory
forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law
in this state, school attendance is obligatory until the age of 16
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cliche
used or heard so often as to be dull
the obligatory cliff-hanger endings for season finales of TV shows
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obligatory
Though rare, this is perhaps the worst type of post-credits sequence: an obligatory waste of time.
—
James Grebey, Vulture, 24 July 2025
His only other trip abroad since reassuming the presidency, besides a quick jaunt to the pope’s funeral and a couple of obligatory summits, was a tour through the Middle East.
—Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Stick around through the end credits for the obligatory teaser of what’s in store and a breezy homage to an earlier iteration.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
The series’ obligatory Hairstyling and Makeup nominations feel like an insult at this point.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for obligatory
James Grebey, Vulture, 24 July 2025
His only other trip abroad since reassuming the presidency, besides a quick jaunt to the pope’s funeral and a couple of obligatory summits, was a tour through the Middle East.
—Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Stick around through the end credits for the obligatory teaser of what’s in store and a breezy homage to an earlier iteration.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
The series’ obligatory Hairstyling and Makeup nominations feel like an insult at this point.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for obligatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligatory
Adjective
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If the lump sum payout is chosen, the winnings will first drop to $196.7 million after a mandatory federal withholding of 24% is applied.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Singaporeans' take-home pay is lower than their full salary because of mandatory Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Hopkins clinic fit squarely into the desire of these movements to offer Americans alternatives to the rigid gender roles and compulsory heterosexuality of the Cold War era.—
Time,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
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The violent clashes in the state’s megacity Mumbai earlier this month were sparked by the regional government’s controversial decision to make Hindi a compulsory third language in public primary schools.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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Their negative stereotyped reputation seems to follow them like ageism follows older employees or sexism follows female employees.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Even under this more limited framework, employers would need to carefully track where and how interactive systems are used and ensure that required disclosures are delivered clearly and consistently.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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For the 2024-25 school year, a record share of incoming kindergartners had an exemption for a required vaccine, most often for personal or religious reasons, CDC data shows.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Aug. 2025
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Clearly, the fans are tired of Smith's constant issues with James.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Democratic mayoral candidate who stunned the city's political establishment by toppling former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for the nomination and has shaken up social media feeds, announced the scavenger hunt in a Saturday video, kicking it off with a jab at incumbent Mayor Eric Adams.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Aug. 2025
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The incumbent president’s party usually loses seats in the midterms.—
Jim Vertuno,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Johnston said departments are more likely to be affected than the council, which should leave the group to focus on its usual work.—
Evan Mealins,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
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The eat-in kitchen has your usual niceties — a stainless-steel farmhouse sink, quartz counters, a walk-in pantry — while the three bedrooms upstairs all are comfortably sized.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Nelson and Cavell questioned why rule changes were necessary if Woodward already removed them from the committee positions.—
Dave Boucher,
Freep.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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At 88% of all kindergartners vaccinated, Ohio falls below the 95% herd immunity that is generally considered to be necessary for a community to stay safe from measles.—
Elizabeth B. Kim,
The Enquirer,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obligatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligatory. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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