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
  • Baby’s All Right, which accommodates closer to 300 people, is still open.
    — Michael Calderone, Curbed, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The space is extremely tight and usually accommodates the massive speakers, the artist or venue camera crew, security, lots of wires, not to mention several other photographers.
    — Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of accommodates
Verb
  • My banter with Cormac focuses on the institute, what compels him to be here.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 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
  • 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
  • Chris is a freelance journalist who, when not writing, skywatching, playing games or building Lego, indulges his taste for horror, sci-fi and the post-apocalyptic.
    — Chris McMullen, Space.com, 24 June 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
  • Besides perks like a heated pool, Japanese Zen garden, rooftop terrace, koi pond, gym and chef’s kitchen, the 15,000-square-foot Star Island property in Miami Beach also has a few other central features Ross favors, one in particular.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
  • As the only country that favors Chinese economic ties but views the United States more favorably, Australia is an outlier.
    — Adam Y. Liu, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of favors
Verb
  • Handwriting is slower than typing, which forces people to summarize and rephrase a teacher or coach’s point in their own words.
    — Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The case forces a prime minister to resign Fenech was involved in a consortium that won a controversial contract with the Maltese government to build a power station.
    — Kevin Schembri Orland, Los Angeles Times, 2 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 9 Sep. 2026.

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