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
Footage from the scene shows the group obeying police instructions when a plain clothes officer grabbed Salman’s hand, twisting it and causing a fracture in her wrist.
—
Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
So long as Lil Nas X complies with the treatment plan determined after his bipolar disorder diagnosis, as well as obeying all laws for the next two years, the case will be dismissed.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Apr. 2026
Judge Schneider added that the dismissal is also contingent on Hill obeying all laws for the next two years.
—Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 6 Apr. 2026
Spacecraft moved in silence, obeying the laws of physics.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
A week before the tournament began Marion County Public Health Department officials and Mayor Joe Hogsett asked attendees to make smart public health choices, such as social distancing and obeying the face masks mandate.
—Shari Rudavsky, IndyStar, 27 Mar. 2026
Soon, Melling’s Colin is obeying his lover’s every order, including by shaving himself bald and sleeping like a dog on the floor.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 2 Mar. 2026
Most Rhode Islanders are obeying the travel ban and staying inside, McKee said.
—Katie Landeck, The Providence Journal, 23 Feb. 2026
The perspective of a military officer forced to choose between obeying orders and listening to his conscience is rarely explored.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
So long as Lil Nas X complies with the treatment plan determined after his bipolar disorder diagnosis, as well as obeying all laws for the next two years, the case will be dismissed.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Apr. 2026
Judge Schneider added that the dismissal is also contingent on Hill obeying all laws for the next two years.
—Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 6 Apr. 2026
Spacecraft moved in silence, obeying the laws of physics.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
A week before the tournament began Marion County Public Health Department officials and Mayor Joe Hogsett asked attendees to make smart public health choices, such as social distancing and obeying the face masks mandate.
—Shari Rudavsky, IndyStar, 27 Mar. 2026
Soon, Melling’s Colin is obeying his lover’s every order, including by shaving himself bald and sleeping like a dog on the floor.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 2 Mar. 2026
Most Rhode Islanders are obeying the travel ban and staying inside, McKee said.
—Katie Landeck, The Providence Journal, 23 Feb. 2026
The perspective of a military officer forced to choose between obeying orders and listening to his conscience is rarely explored.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obeying
Verb
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Pau Cubarsi was back to his best, as was Pedri, who appeared to have lost some of his characteristic spark in recent matches following his return from a hamstring injury.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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In the months following, a federal judge temporarily blocked the termination of TPS for Haitian immigrants, granting a reprieve to nearly 57,000 Haitian TPS holders in New York.—
Dr. Alister Martin,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Now, as members adjust to the Rewards revamp, Starbucks is observing early signals that customers are leaning in to benefit from the loyalty program's new deals.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
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In the new study, published on Wednesday in Scientific Reports, University of Cambridge biological anthropologist Sylvain Lemoine and his team report observing the macaques intentionally eating soil, dirt and clay—a practice known as geophagy.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obeying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obeying. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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