Synonyms of obey

obey

verb

ō-ˈbā 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• follow
• observe
• conform (to)
• adhere (to)
• comply (with)
• abide by
• keep to
• mind
• fall in with
• submit (to)
• goose-step (to)
• yield (to)
• surrender (to)
• hear
• defer (to)
• agree (to)
• heed
• watch
• accede (to)
• regard
• take
• listen (to)
• assent (to)
• notice
• attend
• acquiesce (to)
• note
• mark

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disobey
• defy
• refuse
• dare
• challenge
• lead
• rebel (against)
• ignore
• renounce
• direct
• repudiate
• disregard
• violate
• dismiss
• pass over
• overlook
• disoblige
• break
• brush (off)
• transgress
• resist
• wink (at)
• infringe
• oppose
• breach
• flout
• fight
• withstand
• scorn
• mock
• tune out
• revolt (against)
• deride
• scoff (at)
• combat
• shrug off
• contest
• dispute
• overpass
• buck
• pooh-pooh
• mutiny (against)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of obey

The unassailability of the strength here must be obeyed or, at least, acknowledged. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026

People are riding e-bikes and e-motorcycles, sometimes riding recklessly, traveling at high speeds, or not obeying the rules of the road. — Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026

Ella is a young woman cursed to obey all instructions whose quest for self-determination also turns her into an advocate for the kingdom’s oppressed elves and ogres. — Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026

If the early universe obeyed this rule, our modern cosmos would be devoid of substance, just energy fields rippling eternally through emptiness. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 13 Aug. 2026