1
as in submission
a bending to the authority or control of another
the drill sergeant demanded complete and unquestioning obedience from the recruits
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in submissiveness
a readiness or willingness to yield to the wishes of others
the cowardly obedience with which the dictator's henchmen followed his every command
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in adherence
the following of a custom, rule, or law
expectations of strict obedience to the guidelines were soon dashed
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obedience
Zimmerman showered Leader with love and took her to obedience classes, offered rewards like liver or chicken during positive training sessions, and made sure to socialize her by having as many different people as possible pet her.
—
Jen Reeder, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Even if your furry friend has already mastered the obedience basics, try adding some new party tricks to their command repertoire.
—Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Malik wants protection – Massoud wants obedience.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025
Bondi’s obedience to the President includes matters as insignificant as ending the department’s purchase of paper straws.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Jen Reeder, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Even if your furry friend has already mastered the obedience basics, try adding some new party tricks to their command repertoire.
—Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Malik wants protection – Massoud wants obedience.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025
Bondi’s obedience to the President includes matters as insignificant as ending the department’s purchase of paper straws.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obedience
Noun
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This year, the council of 16 judges, comprising photographers, videographers, and social media professionals, reviewed nearly 10,000 submissions from across 108 countries.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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Among the 65 submissions was one that detailed the discovery of a 1930s-era oil can from Fresno that was supposedly uncovered at SDSU during an on-campus building project.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In Killers of the Flower Moon, his Ernest Burkhart starts off as a mopey, weak-minded World War One veteran, eager to do anything for his godfather uncle (Robert De Niro), but there’s still a certain likability to his dim-bulb submissiveness.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As early as March 4, 2020, the FBI opened an assessment of Hole for possible adherence to racially motivated violent extremism.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
21 Oct. 2025
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Police added that no evidence of postmortem fractures were found on the remains, adding that forensic investigators found soil adherence and staining that suggest the remains may have been in the ground for over five decades.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Following Zhao’s resignation as CEO, Binance installed Richard Teng, a former financial regulator in the UAE and Singapore, as head of the company to telegraph to authorities that the exchange was focused on compliance.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
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Fake sales accounts, other Wells Fargo scandals From 2013 to 2016, the comptroller’s office said that Russ Anderson failed to provide information or provided false, incomplete or misleading information during compliance examinations in 2015.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Would-be autocrats create environments of fear and powerlessness, using intimidation, overwhelming force or political and legal attacks, and other coercive tactics to force acquiescence and chill democratic pushback.—
Shelley Inglis,
The Conversation,
19 Oct. 2025
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Yet, the lesson of the Voting Rights Act is that the response to these setbacks isn’t despair or acquiescence.—
Time,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In the studio, niche interests are exchanged for conformity and collective attention to breath and postures—at least on the surface.—
Calin Van Paris,
Outside,
30 Sep. 2025
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However, Thalund and screenwriter Marianne Lentz imbue the set-up with a fresh 2025 perspective while attuning the material to a very particular Danish frequency in a society perpetually triangulating between child-centric educational approaches, permissiveness and conformity.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Harvard Lampoon’s ad offered two suggested surrender dates, April Fool’s Day and April 14.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
20 Oct. 2025
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Fox19 was outside the Cincinnati Police Department’s District One headquarters on Sunday when Shaquille Ferguson and his attorney Clyde Bennett arrived for his surrender.—
Tre Mathews,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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These artificial stars, moving across the sky in a quick succession, will mar astronomical observation but potentially also confuse migratory birds.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
21 Oct. 2025
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These practices slow you down, sharpen your observation, and deepen your connection to the local environment.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obedience. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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