Synonym Chooser

How is the word oblige different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of oblige are coerce, compel, constrain, and force. While all these words mean "to make someone or something yield," oblige implies the constraint of necessity, law, or duty.

felt obliged to go

When would coerce be a good substitute for oblige?

Although the words coerce and oblige have much in common, coerce suggests overcoming resistance or unwillingness by actual or threatened violence or pressure.

coerced into signing over the rights

When might compel be a better fit than oblige?

The words compel and oblige can be used in similar contexts, but compel typically suggests overcoming of resistance or unwillingness by an irresistible force.

compelled to admit my mistake

When can constrain be used instead of oblige?

The meanings of constrain and oblige largely overlap; however, constrain suggests the effect of a force or circumstance that limits freedom of action or choice.

constrained by conscience

Where would force be a reasonable alternative to oblige?

While the synonyms force and oblige are close in meaning, force is the general term and implies the overcoming of resistance by the exertion of strength, power, or duress.

forced to flee for their lives

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 oblige The streamer passed on Gyllenhaal’s wish to shoot the movie in New York, but Warners obliged. Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025 Under previous governments, the country argued that the presence of many Ukrainian refugees (even before the full-scale Russian invasion of 2022) meant Poland should not be obliged to resettle refugees from the Middle East and Africa. Frey Lindsay, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 Gentry implied that the growth sprang largely from American unexpectedly adding flights, which the airport is contractually obliged to accommodate, The Ledger reported. Ted Reed, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 Wolff said Xi may not be ready to take Taiwan by force yet as there are other hotspots in the South China Sea where the U.S. potentially would be obliged to intervene against Chinese belligerence, such as the Philippines. John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for oblige
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oblige
Verb
  • Other upcoming vehicles will also be developed to accommodate traditional internal combustion, hybrids and E-power.
    Mark Phelan, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The government has since decided to reopen the application process to accommodate new applications.
    Marta Abbà, Wired News, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Do judges have the power to compel the administration to change its behavior?
    Patrick Reis, Vox, 16 Apr. 2025
  • In response to the AFT’s request for a temporary restraining order to compel the department to resume IDR application processing, the Department of Education filed papers in court last week indicating that processing for ICR, IBR, and PAYE applications would be resuming in the coming weeks.
    Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The key lesson of Munich is that appeasing aggressive authoritarian regimes in the hope of preserving peace emboldens them to pursue even greater acts of expansion and violence.
    Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The compromise appeased Luna, but not the Democratic sponsors of the underlying legislation — Reps. Brittany Pettersen (Colo.) and Sara Jacobs (Calif.) — who are accusing Johnson of watering down their parental-empowerment proposal while abandoning lawmakers with young families.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The administration is threatening to withhold federal money from universities as a way to coerce many of them to comply with administration policies in ways that implicate free speech and in some instances violate legal processes for the withholding of federal support.
    Daniel Hall, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Its alliances were coerced, its innovations lagged behind, and its industrial system collapsed under its own contradictions.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • That came after a two-goal and one assist performance in Game 2, and a two-assist night in Game 1.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025
  • The Trump administration first designated the Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization in 2021, but the designation was revoked by Democratic President Joe Biden, largely to assist with Yemen's humanitarian crisis, often described as one of the worst in the world.
    Neda Ulaby, NPR, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • However, Barron's slender frame and short arms may force him to play as a nickel corner in the NFL.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Companies that need these elements have been forced to buy them from other firms with existing private stockpiles, which have become more valuable in recent weeks.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • This helps put big companies and small companies on a level playing field.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Those advantages paired with 14 Heat turnovers helped the Cavaliers win the possession battle, taking eight more field-goal attempts and four more free throws than Miami.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • We are obligated not only to seek justice for ourselves, but also to protect the rights and freedoms afforded to all people.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
  • One caution: a pre-listing inspection obligates the seller to disclose or repair deficiencies.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Oblige.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oblige. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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