as in to compel
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 obligate
Under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the United States is obligated to supply the democratic island with defensive weapons.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
The agency was obligated to submit by last week a report to the relevant congressional committees notifying them that D’Souza is on investigative leave, and explaining why.
—Bymeredith Wadman, science.org, 4 Nov. 2024
The story of that secret anti-Maduro effort also lays bare the tensions between an administration with hardliners laser-focused on deposing the Venezuelan autocrat and a CIA deeply reluctant, yet nevertheless obligated, to follow White House orders.
—Zach Dorfman, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
Under international law, nations at war are obligated to protect humanitarian personnel.
—Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for obligate 
David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
The agency was obligated to submit by last week a report to the relevant congressional committees notifying them that D’Souza is on investigative leave, and explaining why.
—Bymeredith Wadman, science.org, 4 Nov. 2024
The story of that secret anti-Maduro effort also lays bare the tensions between an administration with hardliners laser-focused on deposing the Venezuelan autocrat and a CIA deeply reluctant, yet nevertheless obligated, to follow White House orders.
—Zach Dorfman, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
Under international law, nations at war are obligated to protect humanitarian personnel.
—Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for obligate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligate
Verb
-
The Israeli government insists that military force compelled those concessions—a claim Spencer echoes.John Spencer, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
-
Rebecca Bakker, a registered nursing professor who lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan, had already decided against voting for Trump but has not felt compelled yet towards Harris or any third-party candidates.Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The answer is very simple: no buyer of Chrome would pay full price assuming a sale of it by Google in light of market knowledge that the sale would be coerced.John Tamny, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
-
Over a month and a half, the report said, Pakistani authorities deported 20,000 Afghans and coerced over 350,000 more to leave on their own.Trisha Mukherjee, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The United States warned Israel in October that it might be forced to curtail some of its crucial military support if Israel did not rapidly ramp up the amount of aid entering Gaza.Wafaa Shurafa and Fatma Khaled, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
-
Liz is forced to reexamine her life as the boys’ friendship unravels in a fierce competition for her affection.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Studios are legally obliged to ensure that the data contained in the financial statements for their production companies is true and accurate.Caroline Reid, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
-
The Digital Services Act, a regulation that came into force in November 2022, obliges platforms to provide access to researchers for certain projects.ByKai Kupferschmidt, science.org, 31 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near obligate
Cite this Entry
“Obligate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligate. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share