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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obliges
The pilot obliges — and then the co-pilot flips off the autopilot function.
—
Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
Lest one forget regulatory tailwinds; the European Union Nature Restoration Law obliges EU member states to rehabilitate 20 percent of degraded ecosystems by 2030.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 8 Sep. 2025
Ian obliges and books the band.
—Rob Reiner, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025
Sam then picks up Emerald and asks for a cuddle, and the pup happily obliges, nuzzling into Sam's neck and relaxing into the hug.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
Lest one forget regulatory tailwinds; the European Union Nature Restoration Law obliges EU member states to rehabilitate 20 percent of degraded ecosystems by 2030.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 8 Sep. 2025
Ian obliges and books the band.
—Rob Reiner, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025
Sam then picks up Emerald and asks for a cuddle, and the pup happily obliges, nuzzling into Sam's neck and relaxing into the hug.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliges
Verb
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Inside, the 19-room layout accommodates both private retreat and large-scale entertaining.—
Miriam Schwartz,
Boston Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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The shoes have a wide toe box with plenty of room for feet to spread out, which helps prevent painful pinching and accommodates foot issues.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Yet these productions are increasingly designed around an ethos of visual-over-depth that compels us to immediately document and post each scene.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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One way lawsuits can generate this pressure is through the discovery process, which compels companies to turn over internal documents, and could shed insight into what executives knew about safety risks or marketing harms.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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The pic centers on Ali (Ekin Koç), a university professor who is haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother and coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The falling soufflé as a symbol of the crumbling hotel is the kind of heavy-handed touch Solnicki rarely indulges.—
Caryn James,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Aug. 2025
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So much eye-candy value is maximized by David Schuurman’s widescreen photography, which frequently indulges us further with sweeping drone’s-eye views of spectacular landscapes.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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The hour favors features and longer interviews over breaking news, which appealed to Santaniello.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
10 Sep. 2025
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This week, the Cleveland Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens, and this actually favors Tillman.—
Steve Bradshaw,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Daniels steps up, but Wyatt is right there and forces Daniels to cut back right into Sorrell and Brooks, who split the sack for a loss of 2 yards.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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Employers counter that the cost of providing what unions want adversely affects their competitiveness in other states and nations and forces them to raise prices, reduce employment or even leave California to remain solvent.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sports events, social outings, movies, the theater, fun get-togethers, playful activities with kids – do whatever pleases you and brings you joy.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obliges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliges. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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