CONTROLS Synonyms: 196 Similar and Opposite Words

controls 1 of 2

noun

plural of control

as in controllers

a mechanism for adjusting the operation of a device, machine, or system the controls for the player are well marked

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as in hands

the ability to direct the course of something after the tail fell off, the plane went out of the pilot's control firefighters keeping control of the blaze

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in operations

the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something control of manufacturing operations was given to a new manager with fresh ideas

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as in powers

the right or means to command or control others teachers are responsible for the students under their control

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controls

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of control

as in regulates

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) you must learn to control your temper

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as in contains

to gain emotional or mental control of he controlled himself only with the greatest difficulty in the face of his opponent's insulting remarks

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as in rules

to exercise authority or power over circumstances often control the choices we make in life

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as in operates

to look after and make decisions about during the period that she controlled the company it was highly profitable

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of controls

Noun

It was not immediately known what caused the crash in a city with strict airspace controls, including a recent ban on drones. — ABC News, 27 June 2026 Beijing maintains strict controls over religion, which has led to the rise of underground churches. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 5 July 2026 Anthropic had objected to the government’s decision to impose export controls in a blog post announcing that the two systems had been disabled. — Josh Wingrove, Fortune, 27 June 2026 This plan covers up to nine devices and combines ad blocking, privacy protection, malware filtering, and parental controls into a single package. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026 Gartner has predicted that more than 40% of agentic AI projects will be canceled by 2027 over escalating costs, unclear value or weak risk controls. — Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026 Anthropic rolled out a series of controls in August that allow customers to provision users, view analytics and set spending limits at the organization and individual level. — Ashley Capoot,kate Rooney, CNBC, 26 June 2026 Work begins on JetZero’s first demonstrator This aircraft is intended to prove JetZero’s calculations on aerodynamics, structures, manufacturing, and flight controls. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026 On Friday afternoon a small plane appeared to evade some of the world’s strictest aviation controls and slam into the tallest skyscraper in Beijing, the 109-story CITIC Tower that dominates the city’s skyline, killing the pilot and injuring 13 other people. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 27 June 2026

Verb

China controls a massive share of global rare-earth mining (about 60%) and refining (over 90%). — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026 Though more popular for your skin, when applied to your scalp and strands, the ingredient sloughs off buildup, soothes irritation, reduces dandruff, and controls oil production. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 5 July 2026 Who controls your access to credit, customers, insurance, healthcare, retirement savings, or future opportunity? — Henrik Totterman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 The company controls more than a third of the VLCCs that would be able to reach the Persian Gulf in the next two weeks, according to shipbrokers’ estimates. — Weilun Soon, Fortune, 5 July 2026 The Central African country is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and controls vast stores of copper, gold, and lithium; its mining sector is estimated to hold $24 trillion of mineral value. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 3 July 2026 History shows family successions, whether in North Korea or Syria, tend to happen through rigid authoritarian control, with the transfer of power underwritten by whoever controls the military. — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026 Even Realities, which was founded in 2023, launched the Even G2 smart glasses with a bigger display in a lighter frame late last year, alongside the Even R1, a smart ring that controls the display of the G2. — Jenny Lee,anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 July 2026 The throttle that controls the aircraft’s engine power originated from an F-18 Super Hornet fighter jet that operates from aircraft carriers, whereas the stick comes from an F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for controls

Noun

Consoles, controllers, accessories, weird VR gloves that never worked properly, but mostly the games themselves.

— David Pierce, The Verge, 2 July 2026
The system is thousands of controllers short of full staffing.

— Joel Rose, NPR, 1 July 2026

Definition of controllers

Noun

While committing the robberies Fleming drew a gun, and wore all black covering his face with a ski mask and goggles, and his hands with gloves, authorities said.

— Mary Ella Hastings July 3, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 July 2026
Rinse the blueberries under cold running water, gently swishing them around with your hands to ensure all the berries are exposed to water.

— Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 3 July 2026

Definition of hands

Noun

Rodríguez Castro helps oversee GAESA, has a hand in its operations and acts as a liaison between the organization and his grandfather.

— Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Catalan Fire Service head of operations Eduard Martinez said the blaze had a perimeter of 25 miles and firefighters may not be able to bring it under control on Sunday, EFE said.

— Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026

Definition of operations

Noun

The Verdict on Ina and Julia’s Potato Salad I’m grateful that Ina’s cookbook introduced me to the powers of potato cooking water.

— Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026
While senior Iraqi officials will attend the funeral, representation from other major powers will be limited.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of powers

Verb

The Federal Aviation Administration regulates the airspace, and drone owners are responsible for knowing and abiding by those restrictions.

— Kelly O'Donnell, NBC news, 5 July 2026
The Clean Air Act is the federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources and governs air pollution.

— Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Definition of regulates

Verb

The 585-acre neighborhood contains 5 million square feet of office space, including 250,000 square feet of medical offices where John Muir Health has been expanding.

— George Avalos, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
The ancient Moa Eggshell Cave in New Zealand contains the remains of several extinct animal species lost approximately a million years ago.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 6 July 2026

Definition of contains

Verb

The California Foster Youth Bill of Rights comes into play when deciding what rules the county can place on the youths.

— Theresa Clift July 2, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
The city has also been fighting Miami-Dade County rules around transit stations that allow developers to substantially scale up residential and commercial projects.

— Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026