as in compels
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
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Recent Examples of obligates
Iran is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that obligates it not to enrich uranium for military purposes.
—
Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
The collective defense clause, if invoked by a member state, obligates all other members of the transatlantic alliance to treat an attack on one as an attack on all.
—Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Europe’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) obligates foreign streaming services to invest a portion of their revenue into local productions, but leaves the modalities of this obligation to each individual country.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
The registry obligates legitimate telemarketers to stop calling numbers listed on it.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
In prior administrations, including during my time in the Obama administration, such leverage ran into statutory guardrails under the Taiwan Relations Act, which obligates the United States to provide Taiwan defensive capabilities.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
Orange County’s agreement with ICE only obligates the county to detain up to 114 people, but the county was housing, on average, 140 inmates a day in January and last week, the count hit 182.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
The federal law dating back to 1967 obligates government agencies to turn over records to the public with some exceptions.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
Treating capitalism in general, and industrialization in particular, as a political project obligates Beckert to minimize the role of technology.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
The collective defense clause, if invoked by a member state, obligates all other members of the transatlantic alliance to treat an attack on one as an attack on all.
—Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Europe’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) obligates foreign streaming services to invest a portion of their revenue into local productions, but leaves the modalities of this obligation to each individual country.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
The registry obligates legitimate telemarketers to stop calling numbers listed on it.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
In prior administrations, including during my time in the Obama administration, such leverage ran into statutory guardrails under the Taiwan Relations Act, which obligates the United States to provide Taiwan defensive capabilities.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
Orange County’s agreement with ICE only obligates the county to detain up to 114 people, but the county was housing, on average, 140 inmates a day in January and last week, the count hit 182.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
The federal law dating back to 1967 obligates government agencies to turn over records to the public with some exceptions.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
Treating capitalism in general, and industrialization in particular, as a political project obligates Beckert to minimize the role of technology.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligates
Verb
-
Yet the Gospel compels us to do just that.—
William E. Lori,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Perhaps that’s what compels me, somewhere in the middle of our lunch, to unmask.—
Zeba Blay,
SELF,
21 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
-
Finally, the series rests on the shoulders of the three principal players, who are just a pleasure to watch; the camera obliges by moving in close.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The 2026 Ram 1500 definitely obliges in that comfort.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
New Yorkers deserve a system that protects them before harm occurs — not one that forces them to fight for years to reclaim what was already theirs.—
Darlene Mealy,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
In her latest Netflix action effort, Theron plays a woman who sets off on a trip to Australia to soothe her grief but unwittingly crosses paths with Egerton’s unnerving hunter, who forces her into a game of cat and mouse.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obligates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligates. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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