How to Use comply in a Sentence

comply

verb
  • I asked the waitress to refill my coffee cup and she happily complied.
  • There will be penalties against individuals who fail to comply.
  • The deputy instructs the man to sit down, and the man complies.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 6 July 2023
  • The group seeks to crack down on short-term rentals that don’t comply with L.A. rules.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024
  • After the attack, the man lay on the floor and complied with orders.
    — Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2023
  • The judge later found on Aug. 17 that Wade still hadn’t complied.
    — Brady Knox, Washington Examiner, 14 Jan. 2024
  • The deadline for the rest of Maine to comply is coming up within the week.
    — Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Health care providers who fail to comply would face fines or up to five years in prison.
    — Tori Otten, The New Republic, 12 Jan. 2023
  • Guests who fail to comply will be asked to cease smoking.
    — Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 13 Jan. 2024
  • The court gave the government two years to comply or submit a new rule.
    — Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 5 Sep. 2023
  • Her brain was telling her body to fly and twist, but her body wasn’t complying.
    — Heather Long, Washington Post, 25 July 2024
  • But coming up with the money to comply with the ULEZ might put up a roadblock.
    — Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Dec. 2023
  • Romeo declined to comment on how those trips complied with the law.
    — Isaac Arnsdorf and Josh Dawsey, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Sep. 2023
  • Failure to comply will cost the lives of everyone on this plane.
    — CBS News, 7 July 2023
  • Carrie refuses to comply with the new trash can rules and is sent to jail, for life?
    — Athena Sobhan, Peoplemag, 25 July 2024
  • There was refusal to comply in terms of handing things over.
    — CBS News, 22 Jan. 2023
  • Comer set a March 21 deadline for the White House to comply with his request.
    — Arden Farhi, Adriana Diaz, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2023
  • Gravante said that Gap’s failure to comply with the terms of the contract has been costly.
    — Anne D'innocenzio, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2022
  • If past is precedent, many of these videos won’t comply with copyright rules.
    — Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 16 June 2023
  • Gravante added that the retailer’s failure to comply with the terms of the contract has cost the mogul a large sum of money.
    — Jasmine Browley, Essence, 15 Sep. 2022
  • Guests who refuse to comply will be ejected and may be subject to arrest.
    — Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 9 Dec. 2024
  • None of those steps was overtly challenged by a member of the Court at the time, and justices have taken steps to comply.
    — Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2023
  • In 2024, the SEC penalized a number of high-profile funds for failure to comply with the rule.
    — Jon McGowan, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Mayorkas, 64, faced two charges from the House: willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law and breach of public trust.
    — Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 7 Feb. 2024
  • When the victim didn’t comply, Pollard shot the victim in the left hand, and then in the left thigh, as the victim started to remove his watch.
    — Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Companies that don’t comply with the rules can be fined up to 7 percent of their global turnover.
    — Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 8 Dec. 2023
  • The Coastal Commission has worked to keep the Coastal Zone from complying with the density law.
    — Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 13 June 2024
  • Myles said he was confused by conflicting commands and the barking of the dog but was able to comply.
    — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Oct. 2022
  • The number of South Florida condos on the list has more than doubled since 2023, according to figures complied by a law firm that obtained the database from a source.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Jordan complied and sent the suspect money, but the crime only escalated from there as Samuel Ogoshi demanded more and more money from the 17-year-old.
    — Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'comply.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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