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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of obliging
Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
Texas coach Sean Miller wanted better defense, and the Horns are obliging.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 8 Dec. 2025
Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The article is the key mutual defense clause, obliging all member countries to come to the aid of another member whose sovereignty or territorial integrity might be under threat.
—Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obliging
Adjective
After obliging, the rapper started to riff by adding some new insults.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
Texas coach Sean Miller wanted better defense, and the Horns are obliging.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 8 Dec. 2025
Verb
Black has sometimes driven for miles to a particular cemetery only to find a funeral under way, obliging him to leave empty-handed.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The article is the key mutual defense clause, obliging all member countries to come to the aid of another member whose sovereignty or territorial integrity might be under threat.
—Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obliging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliging
Adjective
-
The Moon squares Jupiter, pitting your ambitious 10th house against your friendly 7th house.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
-
But the financial institutions have begun to crowd out the city’s signature and historically local retail and restaurant-friendly Miracle Mile strip.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The show includes so many details about accommodating autism in a medical setting, as seen with Langdon’s bedside manner and particularly his request for Mel to turn down the lights.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
This initiative will continue into next season as well, likely accommodating more games against Original Six and other marquee clubs.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Meyers is also accused of coercing the 15-year-old into recording the high school’s wrestling team, the complaint alleges.—
Brittany Kubicko,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Guevara and two colleagues, Mason and then-Detective Ernest Halvorson, orchestrated a frame-up by coercing one witness to identify Rios by beating him with a phone book and flashlight, and another by threatening to charge him with obstruction, according to the plaintiffs’ allegations.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, publicly acknowledged discussions between the two governments last week and pledged a series of reforms aimed at appeasing Washington, a concession that indicated both the urgency of the domestic crisis and the vulnerability of the regime.—
Sarah Fitzpatrick,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
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But then appeasing tradition and upending it both at once, which certainly is the pragmatic philosophy of Lyric, always is a tricky matter.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Heat did it by sitting in its zone defense for most of the night, slowing the 76ers and forcing them into 17 non-paint two-point shots.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
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The decision drew immediate fire from El-Sayed's primary opponents and national Democratic figures, forcing a rare public reckoning over how far the party should go to recapture young men who abandoned it in record numbers in 2024.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Welcoming City Ordinance in Chicago prohibits police from participating in civil immigration enforcement operations or assisting ICE.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Chinese diplomats and the foreign ministry say that their outreach in the region is aimed at building friendship and assisting countries with poverty alleviation, agricultural and economic development, and law and order.—
Didi Kirsten Tatlow,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Justice Department initially said that its release, made in response to a law passed by Congress compelling the agency to disclose nearly all files related to Epstein, comprised more than 3 million pages.—
Elliott Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
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City staff, however, expressed concerns about the request, compelling the recycling plant to instead propose a new shear in the same location as the current one and reducing the new shear's size.—
Jessie Christopher Smith,
Oklahoman,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The ball circled the rim twice before dropping on Friday night, delighting Duke and its fans and crushing LSU.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Cabrera allowed one hit and walked one in his Chicago debut, delighting the crowd of 36,702 on a picturesque night at Wrigley Field.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obliging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliging. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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