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
You are not obligated to carry everyone’s emotions, Sagittarius.
—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
Washington is obligated by a domestic law to provide the island with sufficient hardware to fend off any invasion from the mainland.
—
ABC News,
24 June 2026
What was Posey’s response to Manfred’s charge that the team didn’t do enough to educate players about league policies and whether they were obligated to wear the rainbow hats?
—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
If it’s not obligated by the end of September, that money will expire and can no longer be spent.
—
Anna Maria Barry-Jester,
ProPublica,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for obligate
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
Washington is obligated by a domestic law to provide the island with sufficient hardware to fend off any invasion from the mainland.
—
ABC News,
24 June 2026
What was Posey’s response to Manfred’s charge that the team didn’t do enough to educate players about league policies and whether they were obligated to wear the rainbow hats?
—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
If it’s not obligated by the end of September, that money will expire and can no longer be spent.
—
Anna Maria Barry-Jester,
ProPublica,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for obligate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligate
Verb
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Detective Joshua Hylton was granted a geofence warrant that compelled Google to search its database and identify every cellphone in a 17½-acre area around the bank, including private residences and a church, for a period of two hours.
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The Current building the stadium, of course, helped compel the expansion that opened in May with a stop that is about a five-minute walk from the stadium.
Verb
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Enterprises that route requests between multiple models can be coerced into selecting the weakest route.
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What’s not clear is whether the department will eventually use its muscle to coerce builders, suppliers, and property owners into upgrading their sheds and fielding them more sparingly.
Verb
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Extreme heat has forced several communities in the Washington area to cancel or scale back their Independence Day celebrations.
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The Kings forced 20 turnovers, leading to a 22-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Verb
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But when the opposition are obliged to come forward and make the running, Argentina are too content to sit deep.
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Putin has said that a final peace deal must oblige Ukraine to abandon its bid to join NATO, reduce its military and protect Russian language and culture.
Cite this Entry
“Obligate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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