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.

The owners of the land, David and Mary Palmer, successfully applied for the tribe to be evicted in September - but they failed to comply with the order.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Most Canadian exports to the U.S. are entering tariff free because they comply with USMCA’s terms, so keeping the deal intact is considered crucial for the domestic economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

The lawsuit seeks a statewide judgment that Uber has failed to comply with Proposition 22, along with an opportunity for the thousands of deactivated drivers to appeal their terminations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

The Iranian-flagged Touska ship was seized en route to Iran’s Bandar Abbas after failing to comply with warnings over a six-hour period, U.S.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 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

ASVAB Word Knowledge

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The Hate U Give

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"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry

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