as in compels
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
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Recent Examples of obligates
In May, the city passed new rules requiring retailers with at least 76 carts to either install theft prevention mechanisms, use security deposit devices, or enter into a cart retrieval contract that obligates proactive efforts to pick up their carts.
—
Devan Patel, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The recommendation only obligates actions if the parties choose to adopt it.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2025
The European Union has introduced its Cyber Resilience Act, which obligates manufacturers and retailers to keep tabs on cybersecurity throughout the lifetime of products.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
The site of the meeting is complicated as Putin faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court that obligates the 125 countries that are party to the court to arrest the Russian leader and transfer him to The Hague for trial.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2025
The Finding, issued in 2009, legally obligates the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Devan Patel, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The recommendation only obligates actions if the parties choose to adopt it.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2025
The European Union has introduced its Cyber Resilience Act, which obligates manufacturers and retailers to keep tabs on cybersecurity throughout the lifetime of products.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
The site of the meeting is complicated as Putin faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court that obligates the 125 countries that are party to the court to arrest the Russian leader and transfer him to The Hague for trial.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2025
The Finding, issued in 2009, legally obligates the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligates
Verb
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The hope is that, armed with new technology, that decline of foreign aid serves a rallying call that compels African countries to forge their own paths, free from the constraints of aid dependency and external policy pressures.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
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Maybe we’re supposed to believe that that promise is what compels Lee to stand off against Frank at One Well when a smart man would be running out the door.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While China often threatens and coerces other countries, such as in disputes with South Korea and Australia, its actions are often triggered by events that China feels directly threaten its core interests.—
David C. Kang,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Compulsory heterosexuality is a theoretical framework coined by lesbian scholar Adrienne Rich in 1980 to describe how heterosexuality as an institution compels and coerces female sexuality for patriarchal purposes.—
Quispe López,
Them.,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Rasmus Hojlund is the beneficiary and duly obliges with a low finish through goalkeeper Rui Silva’s legs for a goal that will live long in the memory.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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But the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate obliges them to manage both inflation and unemployment.—
Drew O'Connor,
Nashville Tennessean,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But André, who Bonitzer has named after the early surrealist André-Aimé-René Masson, soon confronts our man with a situation that — at least on some distant subconscious level — forces him to re-evaluate his metrics.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
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This structural gap seriously limits access to highly specialized medical care and forces many countries to rely on training centers abroad, creating imbalances in both quality and equity.—
Dr. Victor Raúl Castillo Mantilla,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obligates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligates. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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