as in following
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 obeying
Writing isn’t about compiling a list of rules and then obeying them.
—
Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
If money talks, there clearly was a feeling George violated the letter of the law by obeying the spirit of her profession.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
Police said that the person refused to leave the building and has not been obeying officers' commands.
—Jose Fabian, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Raskin said Cheney was a champion of the executive branch and tried to stretch the limits of presidential power – while obeying the rule of law.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
While current power brokers haven’t scrapped movies over their content, yet, Hollywood has a recent history of companies obeying in advance by shelving projects until the tensions cool.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
It was intended simply to verify that a nonviolent offender was obeying curfew hours.
—Robert S. Gable, IEEE Spectrum, 20 July 2017
Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
If money talks, there clearly was a feeling George violated the letter of the law by obeying the spirit of her profession.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
Police said that the person refused to leave the building and has not been obeying officers' commands.
—Jose Fabian, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Raskin said Cheney was a champion of the executive branch and tried to stretch the limits of presidential power – while obeying the rule of law.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
While current power brokers haven’t scrapped movies over their content, yet, Hollywood has a recent history of companies obeying in advance by shelving projects until the tensions cool.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
It was intended simply to verify that a nonviolent offender was obeying curfew hours.
—Robert S. Gable, IEEE Spectrum, 20 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obeying
Verb
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Rio Tinto lost almost 2% after the multinational mining company suspended work at its Simandou iron-ore mine in Guinea following a fatality at the SimFer project late Sunday.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
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The following state, federal and local government offices' schedules may be affected by holiday observances Monday.—
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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His family might never know all the details, but Bouzid gives the audience tangible knowledge of his passions and misgivings, accomplishing that by observing the five female characters in his orbit, and so the mystery of all their lives is fully revealed.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Supporters of the prosecution contend Lemon was not merely observing but actively participating in conduct that disrupted worshippers.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obeying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obeying. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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