beholden

adjective

bi-ˈhōl-dən How to pronounce beholden (audio)
Definition of beholdennext
as in obligated
being under obligation for a favor or gift not wanting to be beholden to anyone, he insisted on paying his own way

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beholden Ryan Broderick has watched digital media companies flame out — beholden to a single source of funding or a fickle algorithm. — Scott Nover, Washington Post, 21 June 2026 This reader hopes that will be a rebuttal to all the dubious America 250 content flooding orgs beholden to the neutered NEA. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 This relax-about-skin-cancer approach, Jacobsen believes, particularly applies for people with darker skin tones, who have been beholden to medical guidelines developed primarily for white folks. — Kara McGrath, Allure, 16 June 2026 That trajectory continued through 2019’s sprawling Our Pathetic Age and 2023’s Action Adventure, which Shadow told SPIN reflected his desire to create music that felt more immediate and instinctive rather than beholden to expectations surrounding his legacy. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for beholden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beholden
  1. obligated
  2. indebted
Adjective
  • The spokesperson did not respond to specific questions including what the legal basis would be for rescinding obligated funding.
    — Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 8 Aug. 2025
Definition of obligated
Adjective
  • Oligarchs pocketed the petrodollars of the late-aughts oil boom and left the nation somehow poorer and more indebted.
    — Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
  • Leaders should instead focus on creating a workplace environment where people feel valued rather than indebted.
    — Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of indebted

Browse Nearby Words

behold
beholden
beholding
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Beholden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beholden. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All