Definition of Oblige

oblige (verb) - bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted

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How can oblige be used in a sentence?

  1. Whoever comes closest can oblige everyone else to drink!

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  2. "Anything to oblige a friend," she said, rolling her eyes.

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  3. Never use "oblige" in the place of the complimentary close.

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  4. Corporal Hawkins, would you oblige me by reciting something?

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  5. It was easy to oblige because she was entertaining, and singular.

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  6. Trimpin was only too happy to oblige; and conflict and anxiety ensued.

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  7. He glared rheumily, but a nod from Dougal made him oblige with a bottle and glass.

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  8. No orders can engage it, no encouragement persuade it, nor no Punishment oblige it.

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  9. In exchange, they seemed only to want me to buy them drinks, and I was happy to oblige.

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  10. CIA asked their Saudi brothers to provide the double agents and those were happy to oblige.

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  11. Brennan uses FBI agents as a straw man and ass-kissing Obama-worshipers are happy to oblige.

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  12. Glorious things are here spoken of Christ, and such as oblige us to consider how great he is.

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  13. He sort of asks these spirits in the house for help and they oblige, which is pretty sweet laughs.

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  14. These times demand scapegoats, and the Tea Party is more than willing to oblige and hunt them down.

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  15. Perhaps, then, there are times when noblesse oblige is a better principle than mere populism and compromise.

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  16. "Well, I'd be most willing to oblige you, Chuckie, but it happens you've chosen a rather inopportune moment."

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  17. -- That he would not suffer a soldier to handle an axe, but by fire and sword oblige the inhabitants to do it. ...

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  18. Its forces are overstretched, it has little money, and it will oblige the Americans only when it is ready to do so.

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  19. I was more than happy to oblige, which is how my name got on the vow renewal certificate for Justin and Amber Myers of

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  20. Onlookers can type in what they are looking for, and the big sign will "oblige" with the direction and distance desired.

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  21. He found, with rare and mythical exceptions, that there was no noblesse oblige among the business and financial supermen.

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  22. A common recurring word in the show is Noblesse oblige which is apparently literally means "nobility obligates" in French.

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  23. Would it not be more efficient bureaucratically to oblige Morgan to pay his peons enough to buy their own food and housing?

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  24. The first word didn't make sense, but on the second try we landed on 'oblige' and decided to add a 'd' to the end, "he said.

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  25. I'm sure that if Mexico feels they got a raw deal and want out of NAFTA, the American people would be quite happy to oblige them. richmx2

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  26. Elections in dictatorships are all about pleasing and trying to hoodwink Western donors, who are themselves all too willing to oblige with a wink and smile.

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  27. Now Congress wants to reform the 401 (k) system again, this time getting people to invest in fixed-income financial products, and Wall Street is sure to oblige again.

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  28. The bottom line, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote, is that "the Constitution does not oblige government to avoid any public acknowledgment of religion's role in society."

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  29. BBC America's Doctor Who 9/8c is happy to oblige with a Rory-centric episode as he comes to the rescue of Amy Pond, trapped in a quarantine facility for victims of an alien plague.

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  30. But he could not oblige here and, in the process, there were times when the man who scored 34 times for United last season seemed to have temporarily misplaced his sureness of touch.

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  31. It will surely oblige, but with how much enthusiasm or understanding on the part of Sir Paul Stephenson (or whichever senior officer is there) of what such a culture change will require?

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  32. "The Constitution does not oblige government to avoid any public acknowledgment of religion's role in society," wrote Kennedy, who usually is in the court's center on church-state issues.

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  33. The French have another word, noblesse oblige, which is translated as those who enjoy the advantage of wealth and power have an obligation to protect those who do not have these advantages.

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  34. These standard fees, used in several European Union countries and elsewhere, oblige power grids to pay more for electricity made from renewable sources than they do for fossil-fuel-based energy.

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  35. This is the reverse of "oblige" vs "obligate", where British English only uses the former, while American English uses the latter back-formation for "compel" and the former for "do a favour for".

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  36. Hayworth told host Tom Marr that Bush "was dead wrong on the border" -- then added that "the sad fact about the Bush family is this stubborn notion of noblesse oblige combined with verbal dyslexia."

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  37. Sorry to disappoint the silly man aka ostrich, but I applaud your common sense., but as I do not address him any more you could oblige me and ask him to stop sending all his rubbish twice every time.

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  38. Her department also confirmed the UK's cattle tracing scheme for more than 10m animals, introduced in 1998 after the BSE crisis, did not oblige farmers to say whether their animals were offspring of clones.

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  39. There was no misunderstanding the meaning of the word "oblige," from the manner in which he pronounced it; and yet he was about to enforce the recommendation, when a fretting voice exclaimed on the stairs, --

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  40. Like Millagro, McClintock didn't care if he got hit by a pitch (opposing pitchers were happy to oblige), he never had elbow problems, and from left field, where he played most often, he had a cannon for an arm.

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  41. The documents will oblige companies to maintain a set of internal checks and balances to counter bribery and avoid dealing with contractors or suppliers known or suspected to be taking bribes, among other steps.

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  42. Even the common perils of journeys are such as oblige us to sanctify our going out with prayer and our returns in peace with praise and thanksgiving; much more ought God to be thus eyed in such a dangerous expedition as this was.

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  43. The woman had written a very nice letter explaining these facts, and sent it by hand, stating at the same time that the bearer of the note was a very respectable woman, a friend of her own, who would be very pleased to "oblige" Mrs. Dunstan by taking on the morning's work.

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  44. I would just point out that one of Mr Harbour's own proposed amendments to the telecom package would require national regulatory authorities to "oblige" telcos/ISPs Internet service providers "to distribute public interest information to existing and new subscribers when appropriate" warning about the infringement of copyright.

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  45. And this week sees the opening of Get Low, the directorial debut of cinematographer Aaron Schneider, starring Robert Duvall as Felix Bush -- an Appalachian hermit who decides he wants to throw his own funeral before he dies -- Bill Murray as the funeral director all too happy to oblige, and Sissy Spacek as the woman tied to Felix's past.

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  46. Yet, though looked at with some curiosity and reserve by his more cultivated neighbours, he soon acquired a great popularity among the villagers, subscribing handsomely to all local objects, and attending their smoking concerts and other functions, where, having a remarkably rich tenor voice, he was always ready to oblige with an excellent song.

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Tips for Using oblige in a Sentence

You may have an easier time writing sentences with oblige if you know what words are likely to come before or after it, or simply what words are often found in the same sentence.

Frequent Predecessors

Words that often come before oblige in sentences. For example: "to oblige" or "noblesse oblige"

  • to
  • noblesse
  • will
  • not
  • would
  • and
  • you
  • can
  • much
  • should

Frequent Successors

Words that often come after oblige in sentences. For example: "oblige me" or "oblige the"

  • me
  • the
  • him
  • .
  • them
  • us
  • you
  • a
  • her
  • his

Associated Words

Words that aren't necessarily predecessors or successors, but are often found in the same sentence.

  • noblesse
  • aristocracy
  • obligation
  • nobility
  • nancy
  • ruling
  • phrase
  • respect
  • accept
  • send

Alternate Definitions

  • oblige (verb) - provide a service or favor for someone
  • oblige (transitive verb) - to attach, as by a bond
  • oblige (transitive verb) - to constrain by physical, moral, or legal force; to put under obligation to do or forbear something
  • oblige (transitive verb) - to bind by some favor rendered; to place under a debt; hence, to do a favor to; to please; to gratify; to accommodate
A sentence using oblige