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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obedience
Nguyen explained that the red envelopes carry similar significance as Christmas presents with an intention of teaching children respect, love, care and obedience.
—
Suryatapa Chakraborty, Dallas Morning News, 30 Jan. 2026
Thus the sign helps the greengrocer to conceal from himself the low foundations of his obedience, at the same time concealing the low foundations of power.
—Ezra Klein, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
One where belonging doesn't depend on performance, obedience, or getting it right the first time.
—Danielle Marie Holland, Parents, 27 Jan. 2026
With dogma filling school days, students aren’t being educated and are left intellectually unprepared for much but obedience.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Suryatapa Chakraborty, Dallas Morning News, 30 Jan. 2026
Thus the sign helps the greengrocer to conceal from himself the low foundations of his obedience, at the same time concealing the low foundations of power.
—Ezra Klein, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
One where belonging doesn't depend on performance, obedience, or getting it right the first time.
—Danielle Marie Holland, Parents, 27 Jan. 2026
With dogma filling school days, students aren’t being educated and are left intellectually unprepared for much but obedience.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obedience
Noun
-
To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Like wrestling, jiujitsu emphasizes takedowns, control and submission holds instead of punches or kicks.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 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
-
Comments are moderated for adherence to our Community Guidelines.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
His stalwart adherence to his vision despite its lack of commercial viability earned him the admiration of his peers.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Regulators still demand strict compliance with safety standards.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
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The team is partnering with a company to achieve ADA compliance and has a plan in place to make the property more accessible over time.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And acquiescence can be contagious.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Even if clemency led the White House to dial back the ongoing efforts to punish Colorado, acquiescence today only invites future harassment.—
Max Potter,
Denver Post,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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A number of conservative commentators, including Roger Kimball, Peter Wood, and Chris Rufo, maintain that political conformity overtook élite institutions of higher learning and turned every seminar room into some radical struggle session where students dutifully read Karl Marx and bell hooks.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The edgy series lasted two seasons and took on some hot topics like identity, gender, sexuality, conformity and the notion of empathy as an evolving construct of humanity.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The surrender of Bo Nagar, a leader of the Burma National Revolutionary Army or BNRA, in the upper-central region of Sagaing was a dramatic reminder of fractures within the armed resistance movement, which has led to sporadic clashes over control of territory and administrative disputes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Where analysts differ is on what those changes ultimately represent — whether a pragmatic path toward recovery, an incomplete liberalization constrained by PDVSA’s institutional decay, or a historic surrender of oil sovereignty under foreign oversight.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The observations provide the most detailed picture yet of where the planet’s auroras form and how energy moves through its atmosphere.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
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But observations from the forthcoming Artemis II could inform the selection of future landing sites.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obedience. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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