beholden

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The military said it refused to be beholden to a corporation and pushed back, labeling Anthropic a threat akin to an enemy foreign power and blocking it from some government contracts.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

"Because I feel like if I've met someone and you have some sort of relationship with them, then you feel beholden in a way," he said, adding it creates a "different level of responsibility".

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

Nor need they feel beholden to cupcake makers, cobblers, tax preparers or manufacturers of cheap lingerie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

“Bread of Angels” is her story, and in choosing to write this book, she was only beholden to her own muses.

From Salon • Nov. 11, 2025

If a man, boldest and most intelligent of creatures, won’t wander from place to place, a stranger to all, beholden to none, why would an animal, which is by temperament far more conservative?

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel