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 prior administrations, including during my time in the Obama administration, such leverage ran into statutory guardrails under the Taiwan Relations Act, which obligates the United States to provide Taiwan defensive capabilities.
—
Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
Orange County’s agreement with ICE only obligates the county to detain up to 114 people, but the county was housing, on average, 140 inmates a day in January and last week, the count hit 182.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
The federal law dating back to 1967 obligates government agencies to turn over records to the public with some exceptions.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
Treating capitalism in general, and industrialization in particular, as a political project obligates Beckert to minimize the role of technology.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
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
Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
Orange County’s agreement with ICE only obligates the county to detain up to 114 people, but the county was housing, on average, 140 inmates a day in January and last week, the count hit 182.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
The federal law dating back to 1967 obligates government agencies to turn over records to the public with some exceptions.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
Treating capitalism in general, and industrialization in particular, as a political project obligates Beckert to minimize the role of technology.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligates
Verb
-
The music alone of this collection is a pleasure, but the voice compels.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
-
And that’s what compels you to just keep watching.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
However, the rotation of this filament clearly dominates how the galaxies within it spin, perhaps by funneling hydrogen gas along the dark-matter filament and onto the galaxies in a way that coerces their spin while providing further fuel for star formation.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
4 Dec. 2025
-
Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, Ali, a university professor, coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
But no character in any Broadway musical of recent vintage is designed to steal scenes like Aunt Debra, and Emily Koch obliges with a bold, brassy portrayal that proves a key catalyst for the engaging spirit of this marvelous production.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Villarreal midfielder Dani Parejo points to the space in frame three, and Rafa Marin obliges, firing the ball through to Santi Comesana and taking six Juventus players out of the game.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
How to protect power and fish Lake Powell’s low water level essentially forces the government to choose among economic interests and its legal responsibility to protect Grand Canyon’s environment.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
28 Feb. 2026
-
By focusing on arbitrary numbers rather than specific pathogens, the state forces legal growers to treat safe flower, stripping it of quality.—
Rino Ferrarese,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obligates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligates. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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