as in to compel
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 obligate
Under the current law, the UKG [UK government] can issue a 'Technical Capability Notice' that seeks to obligate a provider to remove an 'electronic protection' to allow access to data that is otherwise unavailable due to encryption.
—
Ars Technica, 7 Feb. 2025
And then there's the legal debate over impoundment — i.e., whether the president is legally obligated to spend money that Congress appropriates.
—Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 4 Feb. 2025
Often the question the medical team struggles with is this: Are we obligated to continue life-supporting treatments?
—Daniel T. Kim, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025
While the attorneys general have urged Optimum to issue automatic refunds, the company is not legally obligated to do so.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obligate
Ars Technica, 7 Feb. 2025
And then there's the legal debate over impoundment — i.e., whether the president is legally obligated to spend money that Congress appropriates.
—Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 4 Feb. 2025
Often the question the medical team struggles with is this: Are we obligated to continue life-supporting treatments?
—Daniel T. Kim, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025
While the attorneys general have urged Optimum to issue automatic refunds, the company is not legally obligated to do so.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obligate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligate
Verb
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If the court finds that Musk is the child's father, St. Clair can then compel him to pay child support.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
1 Mar. 2025
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Mulligan invites Thompson — after her Misty used magic to compel the dragon to dance as a distraction — to roll for the dragon’s power to resist it.—
Eric Francisco,
Rolling Stone,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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While in Washington, Yehuda tries to coerce senators and congresspeople into negotiating with Hamas for the handover of Liat and Aviv, although the latter’s whereabouts remain unknown.—
Jordan Mintzer,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Feb. 2025
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America's adversaries, such as Russia and Belarus, are becoming increasingly emboldened to detain U.S. civilians to coerce Washington into lopsided deals that serve their political and strategic interests, experts said.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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At some point, builders will be forced to cut prices to liquidate inventories.—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2025
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Policies proposed by the Trump administration like imposing tariffs on key trade partners and eliminating federal tax credits will only worsen this trend, harming some of America’s biggest companies while reducing consumer choice and forcing drivers to pay more.—
Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While attempting to oblige those chants, the front office was largely paralyzed this winter.—
Daniel R. Epstein,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
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Yet all federal employees, both appointees like me, as well as the career staff and the leadership, are obliged to follow the rule of law.—
Hansi Lo Wang,
NPR,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obligate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligate. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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