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
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
In May, the city passed new rules requiring retailers with at least 76 carts to either install theft prevention mechanisms, use security deposit devices, or enter into a cart retrieval contract that obligates proactive efforts to pick up their carts.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The recommendation only obligates actions if the parties choose to adopt it.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2025
The European Union has introduced its Cyber Resilience Act, which obligates manufacturers and retailers to keep tabs on cybersecurity throughout the lifetime of products.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
The site of the meeting is complicated as Putin faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court that obligates the 125 countries that are party to the court to arrest the Russian leader and transfer him to The Hague for trial.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2025
The Finding, issued in 2009, legally obligates the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligates
Verb
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Dutch is a typical Schwarzenegger hero — all rippling muscle and bravery — but with a humane integrity that compels him to keep his team safe.—
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The hope is that, armed with new technology, that decline of foreign aid serves a rallying call that compels African countries to forge their own paths, free from the constraints of aid dependency and external policy pressures.—
Verb
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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.—
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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.—
Verb
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That’s not the case, though, with preferred shares—and Strategy has issued plenty of these as well, which obliges it to pay regular dividends to shareholders.—
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Passion sparks when the algorithm obliges erotic fantasy on demand.—
Verb
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On the other hand, statins lower LDL cholesterol by blocking an enzyme in the liver, which then forces the liver to remove more LDL cholesterol from the body.—
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Nonetheless, Williams’ presence on the field alone forces LSU’s defense to account for him at all times due to his big-play ability.—
Cite this Entry
“Obligates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligates. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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