1
as in submission
a bending to the authority or control of another
the drill sergeant demanded complete and unquestioning obedience from the recruits
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
The obedience classic will feature 257 dog and handler teams, including 70 breeds from over 37 states.
—
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Apartments meant for social housing were handed to a select few with a condition for unquestionable obedience.
—Sarah Lynch Baldwin, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
Mindless obedience to orders does.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2025
Miss Shepherd often speaks of coming up living a normal life dedicated to the somewhat constraining expectations of service and obedience that were placed upon young Black girls in the 40s and 50s.
—Essence, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Apartments meant for social housing were handed to a select few with a condition for unquestionable obedience.
—Sarah Lynch Baldwin, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
Mindless obedience to orders does.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2025
Miss Shepherd often speaks of coming up living a normal life dedicated to the somewhat constraining expectations of service and obedience that were placed upon young Black girls in the 40s and 50s.
—Essence, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obedience
Noun
-
This burger beat out 600,000 fan submissions to get a spot on national menus, according to a press release.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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The number of nominees will be proportional to the number of submissions in each genre with at least one nomination for each genre.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
2 Dec. 2025
-
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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However, the focus of this early work was on issues specific to medicine, such as quality improvement or barriers to medication adherence.—
Jennifer Singh,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Tesla shareholders chose ambition, innovation, and long-term value creation over adherence to outdated orthodoxy.—
Shane Goodwin,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Landlords are responsible for upkeep and compliance.—
Rachel Kim,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Gabe Feldman, another Altius consultant, is a law professor at Tulane and the school’s associate provost for NCAA compliance.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Passage of this resolution was tantamount to acquiescence by Congress, granting the president the authority to respond militarily by sending thousands of troops to fight in Vietnam.—
Richard Cherwitz,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
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Despite that goal, the Utah Legislature’s Republican supermajority, with Cox’s acquiescence, has taken a hard turn against solar power — which has been coming online faster than any other source in Utah and accounts for two-thirds of the new projects waiting to connect to the state’s power grid.—
Anjeanette Damon,
ProPublica,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The new class of acting talent is choosing non-conformity—taking Old Hollywood glamour, and totally flipping it on its head.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
28 Dec. 2025
-
Curth directed students to write a 650-word response to an academic study that examined whether conformity with gender norms was associated with popularity or bullying among middle school students.—
John Hanna,
Twin Cities,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
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According to sources, Washington may demand that Rodríguez facilitate the arrest or surrender of Padrino and Cabello to accompany Maduro, who appeared before a New York judge Monday to hear drug trafficking charges.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
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Anniversary of Noriega’s surrender Maduro’s arrest came 36 years to the date of the surrender of Panama’s strongman Manuel Noriega, a notable milestone in American involvement in the Western Hemisphere.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Though their observation has yet to be verified by wildlife biologists, Kogo and Tapanes are working with Burmese pythons specialists at the University of Florida to confirm the species.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
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The most interesting observation from the Zubac injury was how well the Clippers played with Brook Lopez in the mix.—
Stan Son,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obedience. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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