as in compelled
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
the problem is of your own making, so don't think that you can obligate me to help
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obligated
Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 8 Aug. 2025
Oliver Renick, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Barring construction delays, Denver’s next home game on July 3 will be at Centennial Stadium and not DSGP, so Cushing felt obligated to send a home crowd happy.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 17 May 2026
An inspector can catch defects before closing while the builder is still obligated to correct them.
—Ryan Brennan
may 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2026
Once a medication is deemed appropriate to be classified as a generic drug, neither the manufacturer nor the doctor who previously prescribed the medication are obligated to inform the patient of the cosmetic changes.
—Barbara Wolf, STAT, 15 May 2026
They are obligated to pay him until another team hires him and would be on the hook for any differential in salary over that time.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
Expect Nike to dispute Dunn’s retelling of facts and data and argue it is not legally obligated to distribute IEEPA tariff refunds.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 May 2026
Whatever that amount is, the BPU will be obligated to take at least half of it to put toward low income residents’ bill relief.
—Sofi Zeman
may 12, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026
O’Connor, who was also a former deputy chief of police for the City of Tampa, thought Pierce was paying the maximum child support and that he was not obligated to pay any more, said O’Connor’s attorney, Ralph Fernandez.
—Jack Jankowski, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2026
Adjective
The spokesperson did not respond to specific questions including what the legal basis would be for rescinding obligated funding.
—Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
They are obligated to buy the underlying stock at that put's strike price in exchange for the collected premium.
—Oliver Renick, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Barring construction delays, Denver’s next home game on July 3 will be at Centennial Stadium and not DSGP, so Cushing felt obligated to send a home crowd happy.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 17 May 2026
An inspector can catch defects before closing while the builder is still obligated to correct them.
—Ryan Brennan
may 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2026
Once a medication is deemed appropriate to be classified as a generic drug, neither the manufacturer nor the doctor who previously prescribed the medication are obligated to inform the patient of the cosmetic changes.
—Barbara Wolf, STAT, 15 May 2026
They are obligated to pay him until another team hires him and would be on the hook for any differential in salary over that time.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
Expect Nike to dispute Dunn’s retelling of facts and data and argue it is not legally obligated to distribute IEEPA tariff refunds.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 May 2026
Whatever that amount is, the BPU will be obligated to take at least half of it to put toward low income residents’ bill relief.
—Sofi Zeman
may 12, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026
O’Connor, who was also a former deputy chief of police for the City of Tampa, thought Pierce was paying the maximum child support and that he was not obligated to pay any more, said O’Connor’s attorney, Ralph Fernandez.
—Jack Jankowski, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligated
Verb
-
The powerful monetary incentives provided to our politicians and their PACs have compelled legislative compliance to their global agenda.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
Toohey said Lyons was compelled to invent the hatchway because the old wooden ones weren’t durable enough, and were difficult to maintain.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
China Evergrande, once one of China’s largest real estate developers, first defaulted in 2021, and with more than $300 billion in liabilities became the world’s most indebted developer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
-
The story follows a girl training to be a caregiver who inadvertently tells her indebted boyfriend about a rich patient living in a large mansion.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
But, according to the Department of Homeland Security, the majority of trafficking victims—seventy-seven per cent—are forced into labor.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The fire destroyed two structures — a cabin and an equipment shed — and forced the evacuation of 11 National Park Service employees, who were rescued by a Santa Barbara County Fire Department helicopter.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
His compassion was on display in the summer of 1999, in the neonatal unit where Ted worked, when two grateful new parents connected him to the job of a lifetime.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
-
Talking with Netflix Tudum, Carano, a pioneer in women’s MMA fighting, said Rousey is grateful for the opportunity to square off against her in the match.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Ticketmaster’s worst enemy obliged.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
Of course, Brown obliged the crowd’s request for second-year point guard Tyler Kolek.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
Adjective
-
Being able to shave a half-hour or more off the usual running time is a function of being a streaming-only show that isn’t beholden to all the commercials of a network show.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
So whoever is elected is going to be beholden to the money, which is going to be the issues that are in the rich part of this county, not the Memphis area.—
Stephen Fowler,
NPR,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Without that market competition, the plaintiffs argued, gamers were coerced into paying higher prices, effectively allowing Sony to monopolize the sale of its digital PlayStation games.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
-
At the same time, they were aggressively promoted — and sometimes coerced — among socially and economically disadvantaged people, often in the name of preventing poverty.—
Sonya Borrero,
STAT,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obligated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligated. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
