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
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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
There are many reasons a person might hesitate to partake in French ring, a sport where dogs are judged on their agility, obedience and ability to provide protection.
—
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Yann LeCun always reminds me of the very best of Bell Labs' scientists and engineers—a unique breed of individual, fiercely independent of thought and action, who thrive within company structures that typically value obedience and conformance to the corporate mantra and goals.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
This is where the puppy fosters come in so the dog is trained to basic obedience, learning day-to-day with the family, house manners, interacting with different people, the household.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
Leaders who appreciate the worth of their team and respect others will gain far more than mere obedience.
—Chris Gallagher, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Yann LeCun always reminds me of the very best of Bell Labs' scientists and engineers—a unique breed of individual, fiercely independent of thought and action, who thrive within company structures that typically value obedience and conformance to the corporate mantra and goals.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
This is where the puppy fosters come in so the dog is trained to basic obedience, learning day-to-day with the family, house manners, interacting with different people, the household.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
Leaders who appreciate the worth of their team and respect others will gain far more than mere obedience.
—Chris Gallagher, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obedience
Noun
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However, do not be fooled into thinking Barcelona simply pass teams into submission.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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Netflix declined to comment on that possibility but confirmed the aforementioned submission decision.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Yet so often what happens…the balance is lost as the ideas of the visions are dismissed completely, buried under the obligation to create strict adherence to the now.—
Jayson Jenks,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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For example, prominently showcasing relevant industry product certifications can help reinforce your adherence to industry standards.—
Dmitriy Schwarzburg,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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New York reports 43% compliance, and California has reached nearly 55% compliance.—
Taylor Johnston,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2025
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This past week, an appeals court rejected the Trump administration’s request to delay compliance with the district court’s ruling that the administration must take all available steps to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The scheme depends on Trump’s support and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s acquiescence.—
Barry R. Posen,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Apr. 2025
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The key phrase here: harm reduction, or acquiescence to hard drug use.—
Howard Husock,
New York Daily News,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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So what coherent message emerges from these surreal dreams of conformity?—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2025
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What Maryland public school systems need is not the inflexible conformity demanded by such plans.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Therefore, an observation that Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel made before the series started suddenly materialized.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Magic Johnson is pretty active on X. The affable and well-liked Lakers legend often will give his observations on a variety of topics.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Military leaders pushed those possibilities to hellish extremes, following the logic that killing civilians might induce surrender.—
Colin Jones,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2025
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History has long taught us that such appeasement doesn’t work when concession is seen as weakness—or even as surrender.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But in deference to the Cavaliers, that’s what good teams can do, basically take the temperature of the game, measure what is needed, and then seize the moment when the moment needs to be seized.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Apr. 2025
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White House budget requests are usually only aspirational documents to outline administration priorities and are ignored by lawmakers, but this Congress has shown an extreme deference to President Trump.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obedience. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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