as in to follow
to act according to the commands of
she taught her dog to obey her when she said "Sit!" most people obey the law and wear their seat belts
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Recent Examples of obey
Physicists put a single chunk of metal into two places at once, the largest object ever shown to obey quantum mechanics’ weirdest rule.
—
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 29 May 2026
Just this year, a 29-country study found that Gen Z men are twice as likely as their baby boomer counterparts to believe wives should obey their husbands.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 2026
Police say 21 of those people, including 10 juveniles, were charged with disorderly conduct for failing to obey a lawful order to disperse.
—Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 26 May 2026
More to Explore Abrahm and Kenter also argue that Tik-Tok essentially follows the Three Laws of Robotics that Asimov would lay down decades later—robots must first prioritize human lives, secondarily obey orders from humans, and only consider their own welfare after that.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for obey
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 29 May 2026
Just this year, a 29-country study found that Gen Z men are twice as likely as their baby boomer counterparts to believe wives should obey their husbands.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 2026
Police say 21 of those people, including 10 juveniles, were charged with disorderly conduct for failing to obey a lawful order to disperse.
—Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 26 May 2026
More to Explore Abrahm and Kenter also argue that Tik-Tok essentially follows the Three Laws of Robotics that Asimov would lay down decades later—robots must first prioritize human lives, secondarily obey orders from humans, and only consider their own welfare after that.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for obey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obey
follow
Verb
-
Both were able to spot tracks, on dusty roads, and follow the tracks to successfully find wildlife.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obey. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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