as in friendly
willing to do a favor
an obliging concierge used her pull to get us reservations at the town's hottest restaurant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in accommodating
to do a service or favor for
I would appreciate it greatly if you could oblige me by bringing a dessert to the party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in coercing
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
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Recent Examples of obliging
Rana Mitter, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
The obliging royalty would lift their hems and give the crowd a glimpse of their sneakers and cowboy boots.
—Jill Robbins, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2025
Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
Even in that short call, Paulson masterfully rides a roller coaster of emotion, from being starstruck over Crawford, bullied into skipping her big moment, to obliging her out of pity.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obliging
Adjective
To be sure, China may never become the kind of country many Western optimists imagined in the early post–Cold War decades: a gradually more liberal and obliging member of the U.S.-led international order.
—Verb
After obliging, the rapper started to riff by adding some new insults.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliging
Adjective
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Head to Amazon now to shop even more petite-friendly comfy pants, and keep scrolling to check out the rest of my favorite picks.—
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Looking for more cold-weather-friendly sets?—
Verb
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Accessibility Amanyara wasn’t designed with ADA regulations in mind, but staff are committed to accommodating ADA compliance requests by installing ramps, assist rails and handles, and shower seating as needed.—
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However, Denver-area businesses, worried about accommodating growth, urged the PUC not to scale back Xcel’s target.—
Verb
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This would likely mean seizing more resources inside Yemen—for example, by capturing the oil-rich governorate of Marib east of Sanaa—or by coercing Saudi Arabia into offering new financial concessions.—
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There were more damning allegations made by Burrowes against Diddy, which included Combs coercing Burrowes to make changes in Biggie’s record deal with Bad Boy to make the terms more lucrative and favorable for the label.—
Verb
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Parents are questioning whether four years and six figures are worth it, especially as campuses are increasingly overtaken by chaos, radical activism, and administrators more concerned with appeasing ideological mobs than educating students.—
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And yet, beneath the veil of politeness, there was rhetoric from the US president that suggests his default position in negotiations is still to pressure Kyiv, while appeasing Moscow.—
Verb
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That simple change would introduce real competition, allowing merchants to choose lower-cost options and forcing the dominant players to compete on price and service--just like any other market.—
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Jackson remains optimistic that Medicaid cuts will spur a public backlash against lawmakers, forcing Congress to reverse Medicaid cuts before additional layoffs are necessary.—
Verb
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Footage from local television stations showed Portland police assisting the FBI at the scene.—
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Several Icons work alongside newcomers, assisting with citizenship applications and teaching music and language classes that preserve their community's cultural heritage.—
Verb
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In season four, Mike’s (Renner) control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.—
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In Season 4 of Mayor of Kingstown, Mike’s (Renner) control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.—
Verb
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The legendary basketball squad, which was founded in 1926, has been delighting sports fans and families now for a full century.—
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Madigan's character, the elderly aunt of several of the students, became a cult favorite, both terrifying and delighting audiences.—
Cite this Entry
“Obliging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliging. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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