Examples

In this eerie example, graveyard is the direct object because it answers the question of what the fog covered. (What did the fog cover? The graveyard.) You know, just before all of the dead rose and started dancing in perfect synchronization.

In this example, Kobe is the direct object because he's on the receiving end of the action. Kobe answers the question of who got schooled by Lebron.

Here, the direct object is alarm because it answers the question of what is being set off by the speaker's well-meaning but stove-challenged sister.