OBEY Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

obey

verb

ō-ˈbā

Definition of obey

as in to follow

to act according to the commands of she taught her dog to obey her when she said "Sit!" most people obey the law and wear their seat belts

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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 obey Arguably, most Russian elites have not obeyed the Kremlin out of deep loyalty or ideological alignment throughout Putin’s long reign. — Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026 His wishes were largely obeyed — until the third Test in Soweto last weekend, where the home crowd whistled and cheered during the haka. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Chemical reactions continue to obey thermodynamics regardless of what a statistical model predicts. — Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Riders also would have been required to yield to pedestrians and obey signs and traffic signals. — Haley Parsley, Sacbee.com, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for obey

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obey

Verb

An emergency program was followed by an initial slowdown in new cases after almost 20 million children received a vaccination in April and May.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Selma Blair’s team has released a lengthy statement regarding the actor’s recent arrest following an incident while aboard a flight.

— Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of follow

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obesity

obey

obeyed

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“Obey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obey. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of obey

verb

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