as in obligated
being under obligation for a favor or gift not wanting to be beholden to anyone, he insisted on paying his own way

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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 beholden Already inclined to listen to Tehran, Damascus has now become thoroughly beholden. Reuel Marc Gerecht, Foreign Affairs, 7 Sep. 2023 Apologizing for playing a part in your feeling so beholden. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2024 My natural dishwater hue is now beholden as a covetable blonde shade on the internet. Shelby Wax, Allure, 29 Feb. 2024 The appointment was a major concession for McCarthy, but, from his perspective, turning an insurgent into a beholden ally was a matter of survival. Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2023 See All Example Sentences for beholden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beholden
indebted
Adjective
  • Under his reign, Illinois achieved the nation’s lowest credit rating and ranked as the second-most indebted and corrupt state.
    Matt Paprocki, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
  • As someone who spends much of their time working on remote recording and audio production – from building full arrangements solo to collaborating digitally across continents – I’m deeply indebted to Sly Stone’s approach to making music.
    Jose Valentino Ruiz, The Conversation, 13 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Beholden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beholden. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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