obligated 1 of 2

Definition of obligatednext
as in obliged
being under obligation for a favor or gift we have been their guests so many times that we feel obligated to return their hospitality

Synonyms & Similar Words

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obligated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of obligate

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 obligated
Adjective
The spokesperson did not respond to specific questions including what the legal basis would be for rescinding obligated funding. Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
The answer can have serious implications in a variety of scenarios, including when an employee is owed overtime pay and whether an additional company is obligated to pay it. Keith Sonderling, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026 There was early skepticism about whether a non-journalist like Frost would or could ask tough questions, even though Nixon’s contract obligated him to discuss Watergate. Lorna Veraldi, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026 This doesn’t mean that unique phrases can be stolen with impunity, or even that people shouldn’t feel morally obligated to acknowledge the sources of their inspiration. Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026 Torre said Leonard wasn’t obligated to perform actions for payment and that the endorsement deal would end if Leonard was traded. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 24 Apr. 2026 Min said the clause protects officers from guilt-by-association when legally obligated to assist federal operations. Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026 And Atapco would not be obligated to provide the $100,000 to Aria for infrastructure improvements nor help NCDOT or CDOT add a light or crosswalk onto Mallard Creek Road. Desiree Mathurin april 23, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026 By 2021, Quinn was done engaging with Elliott on quarterly financial statements beyond what Neon was obligated to provide under the distribution agreement. Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026 The system, starting up Monday, will refund tariffs directly to the businesses that paid them, which are not obligated to share the proceeds with customers. Mae Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligated
Verb
  • Kristil Krug’s cousin believes that if communications companies had been compelled to respond faster, officials could have identified who was making the threats and saved her.
    Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 1 May 2026
  • Fisher felt compelled to respond.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 May 2026
Adjective
  • The founder of China Evergrande Group, the world’s most indebted property developer, pleaded guilty to charges including misuse of funds, fundraising fraud and illegally taking public deposits, a court in China’s southern city of Shenzhen said.
    Reuters, NBC news, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Evergrande was the world’s most heavily indebted real estate developer with more than $300 billion in liabilities when a Hong Kong court handed down a liquidation order in 2024.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • He was forced off with what looked like a hamstring injury, and with only four matches remaining, there is now a very real possibility that Salah has played his final game for Liverpool.
    Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Even though the pushing and throwing motions forced the robots into excursions near the boundaries of their physical workspaces, and the pick-and-place maneuver demanded complex internal mathematical checks, all three machines were able to learn a functional policy via a single human demonstration.
    Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • During a July 31, 2023, jury trial, prosecutors argued Pino was rightly concerned that Hollis was a threat to him and his family, and chastised Hollis for not being grateful to Pino for putting his life on the line to save hers.
    Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
  • For now, there’s a multitude of actors grateful just to be employed, and to be learning more about the world.
    Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Jack Warner didn’t much like the title, and requested it be changed to The Night Action; Reeves obliged.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Referee James Williams obliged and gave Booker the penalty.
    Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • How sooty and unglamorous, how beholden to the old.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The Iran war is shifting that cost-benefit analysis, while Gulf oil producers — now highly wary of the threat posed by the Islamic Republic and fearful of being beholden to forces beyond their control in the future — are finally looking beyond the Strait of Hormuz for exports.
    Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • But some were also deceived or coerced.
    Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • In the case against Roy Blackmon, two witnesses later testified their statements were coerced.
    Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Obligated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligated. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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