as in following
to act according to the commands of
she taught her dog to obey her when she said "Sit!" most people obey the law and wear their seat belts
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obeying
A week before the tournament began Marion County Public Health Department officials and Mayor Joe Hogsett asked attendees to make smart public health choices, such as social distancing and obeying the face masks mandate.
—
Shari Rudavsky, IndyStar, 27 Mar. 2026
Soon, Melling’s Colin is obeying his lover’s every order, including by shaving himself bald and sleeping like a dog on the floor.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 2 Mar. 2026
The perspective of a military officer forced to choose between obeying orders and listening to his conscience is rarely explored.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
Writing isn’t about compiling a list of rules and then obeying them.
—Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
If money talks, there clearly was a feeling George violated the letter of the law by obeying the spirit of her profession.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
Police said that the person refused to leave the building and has not been obeying officers' commands.
—Jose Fabian, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Raskin said Cheney was a champion of the executive branch and tried to stretch the limits of presidential power – while obeying the rule of law.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
It was intended simply to verify that a nonviolent offender was obeying curfew hours.
—Robert S. Gable, IEEE Spectrum, 20 July 2017
Shari Rudavsky, IndyStar, 27 Mar. 2026
Soon, Melling’s Colin is obeying his lover’s every order, including by shaving himself bald and sleeping like a dog on the floor.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 2 Mar. 2026
The perspective of a military officer forced to choose between obeying orders and listening to his conscience is rarely explored.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
Writing isn’t about compiling a list of rules and then obeying them.
—Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
If money talks, there clearly was a feeling George violated the letter of the law by obeying the spirit of her profession.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
Police said that the person refused to leave the building and has not been obeying officers' commands.
—Jose Fabian, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Raskin said Cheney was a champion of the executive branch and tried to stretch the limits of presidential power – while obeying the rule of law.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
It was intended simply to verify that a nonviolent offender was obeying curfew hours.
—Robert S. Gable, IEEE Spectrum, 20 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obeying
Verb
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Another 42 percent is in the hands of NBA team owners and the remaining 16 percent is held by investors following a 2022 capital raise.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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The Guardians went on to load the bases following back-to-back walks issued by Cabrera, but the Cubs got out of it thanks to reliever Caleb Thielbar forcing Bo Naylor to pop out to end the inning.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Christian worldwide are observing Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.—
Doug Williams,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Deputies with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office reported observing several signs of impairment after the crash.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obeying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obeying. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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