comply

[kuhm-plahy] / kəmˈplaɪ /

VERB

abide by, follow agreement or instructions

Synonyms

STRONGEST

acquiesce adhere to give in give up obey observe quit satisfy submit

STRONG

accede accord defer discharge ditto fold fulfill keep mind perform respect yield

WEAK

agree to cave in come around conform to consent to cry uncle don't make waves don't rock the boat fit in give out go along with go with the flow knuckle to knuckle under play ball play the game put out roll over and play dead shape up stay in line straighten up throw in towel toss it in yes one

Antonyms

STRONGEST

disobey dissuade

STRONG

condemn deny disallow disapprove fail ignore neglect oppose prevent refuse withhold

WEAK

decline rebuff reject resist

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.

Crowe will form Crowe Advisory for its nonaudit business to comply with independence rules.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

UC Davis did not indicate whether it would comply with the Justice Department.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

While the tax would comply with federal rules, it would raise less revenue than the state’s current Medicaid tax and increase premiums for a typical commercial family plan by roughly $400 a year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

In a post on X, US Central Command said an aircraft fired "precision munitions" into the engine room of the Palau-flagged Settebello "after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces".

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

It also forbade the use of federal funds for anything that discriminated against anyone, and authorized the federal government to enforce the integration of schools and penalize schools that didn’t comply.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Vocabulary lists containing comply

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"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry

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