as in compelled
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obligated
Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 8 Aug. 2025
Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Under reporting requirements to antitrust enforcers, companies are obligated to provide notice of large mergers, including hostile bids.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
The contract also reportedly contains a term stating that the school doesn’t have to enter him into the NCAA transfer portal; ordinarily, a school is obligated under NCAA rules to enter an athlete’s name once the athlete informs the school of their intent to transfer.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2026
You are not obligated to be everyone’s friend, nor are you obligated to make friends for those who seem lost.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 7 Jan. 2026
However, once a player enters the portal, the school doesn’t have to guarantee him a roster spot and is no longer obligated to honor his scholarship.
—Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
This is the level of cuts in CAP water that Arizona originally proposed to take under most hydrological circumstances after 2027, unless farmers in western Arizona agree to take some of the burden off the CAP — which they are not obligated to do.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Evers cannot tap unspent federal funding from pandemic aid laws because all of that money has been obligated to other recipients, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
—Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
And even less in foreign aid to Nigeria is projected for FY2025 -- roughly $550 million has been obligated for the year, though the data is incomplete.
—Mariam Khan, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
The spokesperson did not respond to specific questions including what the legal basis would be for rescinding obligated funding.
—Verb
Things got complicated at that point, given that Kern County’s district attorney was obligated to recuse herself and Atty.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligated
Verb
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Given rising trade tensions and the likely unsustainable strength in the export sector, Beijing might eventually be compelled to ramp up its policy measures significantly.—
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You might be compelled to flirt with the visible lingerie trend or pair a new faux fur coat with tall Uggs.—
Adjective
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At the time, the Caribbean nation was heavily indebted to France after being forced to pay restitution for its 1804 independence, and had a small German class dominating its commercial business interests.—
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Patrick previously recalled what Gandolfini said to him ahead of the beatdown Tony was going to give the indebted Davey.—
Verb
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She and other members of both houses and both parties were evacuated for their safety for several hours as rioters forced their way into the Capitol that day.—
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The township, which has raised the possibility it'll be forced into bankruptcy, said its insurer went out of business before the claim arose.—
Adjective
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Nick Ruggiere, another of Goose's rescuers, told 7 News WHDH that the owner and his dog were incredibly grateful for the swift help.—
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Our wallets, lungs, and future generations would be grateful.—
Verb
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Diaz obliged, but not before smacking an unlucky onlooker with a wayward first attempt, above.—
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Grok initially refused to put clown makeup on a Jama photo at the request of one user, but when another person said the photo was not of Jama, Grok soon obliged.—
Adjective
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But Netanyahu was beholden for his political future to the radical minority that supported it, and constantly catered to their whims.—
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Yet there’s another genre to which Hill was and continued to be equally beholden, and that’s the Hollywood musical.—
Verb
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He was coerced into opening a black safe that contained about $400 in cash, and a gold necklace, gold bracelet and gold ring were taken off his body.—
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However, both Maher and his third wife Heidi have since claimed that Maher's confession was coerced.—
Cite this Entry
“Obligated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligated. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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