1
as in submission
a bending to the authority or control of another
the drill sergeant demanded complete and unquestioning obedience from the recruits
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in submissiveness
a readiness or willingness to yield to the wishes of others
the cowardly obedience with which the dictator's henchmen followed his every command
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in adherence
the following of a custom, rule, or law
expectations of strict obedience to the guidelines were soon dashed
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obedience
Organizations spend around two years raising the dogs, guiding them through their puppy phase, teaching them basic obedience, socializing them and training them for specific service tasks.
—
Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 22 Apr. 2025
Their willingness stemmed from the pervasive atmosphere Green established, in which his approval hinged on complete obedience to his whims.
—Air Mail, 3 May 2025
Paul calls us to adopt Christ’s mind — marked by humility, self-emptying love, and obedience to God.
—Rev. Frank Alagna, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2025
Some, like Columbia University, Amazon, and Paul, Weiss, have caved, choosing the path of obedience over principle.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 22 Apr. 2025
Their willingness stemmed from the pervasive atmosphere Green established, in which his approval hinged on complete obedience to his whims.
—Air Mail, 3 May 2025
Paul calls us to adopt Christ’s mind — marked by humility, self-emptying love, and obedience to God.
—Rev. Frank Alagna, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2025
Some, like Columbia University, Amazon, and Paul, Weiss, have caved, choosing the path of obedience over principle.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obedience
Noun
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Tuition is $525 for applications submitted by June 30 and $575 for submissions past that date.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2025
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Finally, applications submitted through national job boards typically are never reviewed by a human out of necessity, because there are so many low-quality and/or AI-powered job application bot submissions on those boards.—
Rebecca Fraser-Thill,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Noun
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The suit claimed the investigation was conducted in adherence with a new employment policy that was created just for her.—
Viola Flowers,
NBC news,
26 May 2025
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This adherence to industry standards helps organizations stay compliant and minimizes regulatory risks.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Most companies now have at least some security presence, whether driven by regulatory compliance or general employee awareness.—
Aditya Patel,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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Republican opinion remained remarkably stable, with 78 percent supporting compliance in May compared to 79 percent in December, even as Trump escalated his attacks on federal judges.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
Noun
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In a post-American Europe, Moscow would establish a patchwork of individual relationships with European countries, confronting some with territorial threats and gray-zone tactics (such as disinformation campaigns) and rewarding others for their acquiescence with cheap energy.—
Liana Fix,
Foreign Affairs,
1 May 2025
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Their children and grandchildren will read about their silence, acquiescence, and cowardice.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Trump administration’s real agenda is the inspiration of fear and the inducement of conformity.—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
21 May 2025
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In its order, the Court emphasized that there is a fundamental distinction between the question of acceptance by States of the Court’s jurisdiction and the conformity of their acts with international law.—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes.com,
5 May 2025
Noun
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But statistician Abraham Wald made a critical observation: those planes survived.—
Faizan Mustafa,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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Before the Bears return to the field for another round of OTAs next week, here are five observations.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
Noun
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His father, Billy Sr., was an intrepid cinematographer who filmed the surrender of the German fleet at Scapa Flow in Scotland in 1919, then worked on documentaries.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
21 May 2025
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Israel on Sunday indicated its openness to ending the war in Gaza if Hamas surrenders, a proposition the group is unlikely to accept as long as Israel continues to insist on Hamas disarming.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
20 May 2025
Noun
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The Trump administration has greater political flexibility to make such an offer than did the Obama or Biden administrations, thanks to the Republican Party’s deference to Trump’s foreign policy initiatives.—
Richard Nephew,
Foreign Affairs,
26 May 2025
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The Vikings will play the Steelers in Ireland on Sept. 28, but not because of deference to the Vikings.—
Charley Walters,
Twin Cities,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obedience. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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