OBLIGES Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

obliges

verb

present tense third-person singular of oblige

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 stabs at humor also fall flat, even if the gimmick of a priest injecting his enemies with a serum that obliges them to attend mass every Sunday is kind of fun the first time, but not really the second or third. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026 And Ric Salinas, who plays Chachalacani, humorously obliges, bringing his Culture Clash vaudeville skills to the role of the sentry who’s caught between the rock of Klion’s tyranny and his fellow feeling for Antíkona’s sympathetic cause. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 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 The 2026 Ram 1500 definitely obliges in that comfort. — New Atlas, 31 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliges

Verb

The property includes eight major league-sized baseball fields and three multiuse turf fields, while the 170,000-square-foot Champions Center accommodates 12 basketball courts or 24 volleyball courts.

— Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
The larger Penthouse North, meanwhile, spans roughly 3,500 square feet and accommodates three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and a pair of powder rooms across the fifth and sixth floors.

— Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of accommodates

Verb

Not the kind of empathy that simply allows someone to understand another person’s struggles, but the kind that compels them to do something about it.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Here, Hendrikx plays anthropologist to a culture that compels each of us—whether a rider or not—to find our own vehicle for fulfillment, then take it to redline.

— Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 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

Being a Zionist no more obligates us to support every Israeli policy than being an American patriot requires supporting every policy of our government.

— Scott Levin, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2026
City staff told commissioners that the development agreement obligates the developer to build a bridge.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of obligates

Verb

Writing strips out the reactive tone that damages trust and forces people to engage with the actual argument instead of the way it was said.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Maya runs away from her pain by traveling the world, first to Portugal and then to London and Japan, but an unexpected romance forces her to confront her past and realize that there may be more than one love of her life.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of forces

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

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Synonyms of obliges

verb

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