Definitions

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.

In the suit, Fowler claimed that Jay Justice blocked him from spending the money necessary to comply with environmental laws, including making court-ordered payments and repairing equipment.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026

Workers were demanding salary increases, protection against subcontracting and job loss through automation, and were refusing to comply with FIFA’s request to collect sensitive private information such as nationality and home addresses.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

Amazon said it would stop selling bikes in the state that don’t comply with California’s speed-limit regulations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

It also said the information commissioner might have given a slightly longer period for the government to comply because of the Christmas holidays.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Many academic articles contain bewildering non sequiturs and digressions that the authors stuck in at the insistence of an anonymous reviewer who had the power to reject it from the journal if they didn’t comply.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

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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