OBLIGATED Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

obligated 1 of 2

adjective

as in obliged

being under obligation for a favor or gift we have been their guests so many times that we feel obligated to return their hospitality

Synonyms & Similar Words

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obligated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of obligate

as in compelled

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 obligated

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

Verb

The Fed might then feel obligated to stand by its guidance, going down the wrong path. — Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 However, Microsoft has signed significant long-term data center leases — and those are considered liabilities under accounting rules, given the company is obligated to make regular lease payments. — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 And yes, the Fever play tonight, which means we are obligated to cover it. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Debt settlement programs can take months or years to complete, and your creditors aren't obligated to negotiate. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 The agreement does not require prosecutors to make such a request, and the judge would not be obligated to grant one. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 It’s always appreciated to lend a helping hand if needed, but don’t feel obligated to lead the planning. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026 Manufacturers should be held to the standards they are already obligated to meet. — Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 The Board of Peace has maintained that the agreement indeed requires a total disarmament of Hamas before Israel is obligated to take any action. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligated

Adjective

An arrest alone does not repair the harm if the rightful owner remains displaced, indebted or trapped in court.

— Landon Dais, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
No franchise on this list is more indebted to a single auteur (Wes Craven) and a single actor (Robert Englund), who turned the saga of Freddy Krueger into something uniquely horrifying.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of indebted

Verb

Management also gave positive forward-looking guidance, marked by a record current quarter pipeline that compelled it to raise its full-year top-line growth forecast.

— Paulina Likos, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
If she were truly compelled by a voice, Sprague said, Clancy would have succeeded.

— Sumiko Corley, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of compelled

Adjective

Either way, parents are grateful Ron Bullaro had another idea to keep her memory alive, the kind of unusual request that Golding and her team are used to getting.

— Michael Collins, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
And how’s Mike Leigh feeling today — at peace, grateful, restless?

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of grateful

Verb

As more cars wrecked behind the incident, NASCAR was forced to throw the caution flag — freezing the field with Preece in front.

— Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Sometimes, operators were forced to drain one pond and divert its water to save fish in another, the Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Inter-branch Organization said in early August.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of forced

Verb

This tweak doubles the amount of time a player is obliged to wait on the sidelines from 30 seconds to one minute.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
There’s also a June 4 deadline for the expiration of a deal, with Paramount obliged to pay a $7 billion termination fee.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of obliged

Verb

The inspection followed a hunger strike by detainees, who in a letter, complained about rotten or worm-infested food, medical neglect, and being coerced into signing deportation orders.

— Vanessa Romo, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026
In 1963, the Supreme Court banned confessions given under scopolamine and other truth-inducers as unconstitutionally coerced.

— Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of coerced

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“Obligated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligated. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of obligated

adjective

verb

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