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
• infringe
• wink (at)
• oppose
• breach
• flout
• fight
• pooh
• 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 Hope Florida Foundation — created to support first lady Casey DeSantis’ top initiative — doesn’t seem to have obeyed any of the requirements in state law governing its ethics, oversight or governance, lawmakers found. —Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025

Clearly, real markets don’t obey the tidy bell-curve models taught in finance textbooks. —John Jennings, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

Bove filed the motion after Danielle Sassoon, the former interim Manhattan U.S. attorney, quit rather than obey an order to ask the court to drop the charges. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025

Hopefully, a crackdown on those who fail to obey the law or engage in unsafe practices behind the wheel will bring them to their senses. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2025