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obliges

verb

present tense third-person singular of oblige
1
as in accommodates
to do a service or favor for I would appreciate it greatly if you could oblige me by bringing a dessert to the party

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in compels
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure I know you're in a hurry, but you can't oblige me to drive any faster than the speed limit

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 obliges The following day, the state added him to its official register of terrorists and extremists, a designation that obliges Russian banks to freeze his assets. — Susie Violet Ward, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Zeus obliges, striking their ship with a thunderbolt that destroys it and kills every member of Odysseus’ crew except the king himself. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026 That emergency obliges all of us — critical filmmakers, activists, big and small festivals — to be more courageous. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 June 2026 The court replaced it with a read-in version that obliges parliament to refer a panel’s findings to the impeachment committee, which is responsible for conducting a full inquiry into the hearing evidence, determining whether grounds exist to remove a sitting president. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 May 2026 Johnson obliges, gently removing the lid. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 1 May 2026 Finally, the series rests on the shoulders of the three principal players, who are just a pleasure to watch; the camera obliges by moving in close. — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026 The 2026 Ram 1500 definitely obliges in that comfort. — New Atlas, 31 Mar. 2026 The terms of the deal between property owners and the government obliges these landlords to keep rents affordable for their occupants for decades, generally restricting rent to about 30% of tenants’ income. — Brian Y. An, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliges
  1. accommodates
  2. compels
  3. appeases
  4. coerces
  5. indulges
  6. obligates
  7. favors
  8. forces
Verb
  • Its flexible modular design accommodates up to 1,000 kilometers of range and adapts easily to both charging and battery swapping.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026
  • This compact design even has a pop-up table, while this clever 2-in-1 sofa bed effortlessly accommodates overnight guests.
    — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of accommodates
Verb
  • And most of them did not choose the economic arrangement that compels them to burn that carbon, that splits labor and leisure in this way, that organizes work and pleasure around certain kinds of mobility.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The deal compels Facebook and Instagram to adopt new child-safety rules, including daily time caps, school-hour notification bans, stronger age checks and expanded parental controls aimed at harmful content.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of compels
Verb
  • This way of handling stress occurs when someone acts calm, appeases the threatening person and retreats to de-escalate the situation.
    — Michele Patterson Ford, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The city’s first street food market appeases the vast spectrum of palates and preferences, from vegans' to meat-lovers', by featuring ten culinary traders who specialize in ethnic fare from Greece to the bayous of Louisiana.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of appeases
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
Definition of coerces
Verb
  • Professional patient Argan indulges his every ailment, and schemes to marry off his daughter to a doctor to save on medical bills.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Lee indulges that emotional ambiguity, the way the pedal steel can blur the distinction between a frown and a smile.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
Definition of indulges
Verb
  • The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 obligates Washington to measure and reduce regulatory burdens.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Zeus’s Law obligates Telemachus and Odysseus’s wife Penelope to host the suitors who hope to marry her in Odysseus’s absence.
    — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026
Definition of obligates
Verb
  • Gonzalez’s Instagram portfolio features a collection of similar skin-first looks, each with its own distinctive glow; the artist often favors radiant complexions over matte finishes.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Why the math often favors the warranty Run the numbers side by side.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of favors
Verb
  • For the third time tonight, Evans forces Winter Park to turn the ball over on downs, this time at the 8 yard line.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • La Gradiva takes a tragic turn in its final act that forces a reexamination of the loose, observant filmmaking that led to it.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of forces

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Cite this Entry

“Obliges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliges. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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