DIRECTION Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

direction

noun

də-ˈrek-shən

Definition of direction

as in instruction

a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned we were given very specific directions for the first part of the exam

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in management

the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something working under the close direction of the engineering supervisor

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in compass

a guiding or motivating purpose or principle a life that seemed to lack any direction other than the mindless pursuit of empty pleasures

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in trend

a prevailing or general movement or inclination some older people worry about the overall direction that political discourse has taken lately

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 direction But filmmakers sometimes lean too far in the direction of our film subjects. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026 According to the study, the ice started re-expanding at this precise moment because two global forces were pulling it in opposite directions, and one of them eventually won. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026 And unfortunately, there was another part of our party that didn't choose to be responsible with their firearm and fired too closely in my direction. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 Then there’s a simple equalizer with five genre presets, and a not-so-comprehensive custom option with only three sliders and 6dB of adjustment in either direction. — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for direction

Recent Examples of Synonyms for direction

Noun

Believing her daughter’s life was on the line, Del Mastro followed the caller’s instructions for five hours.

— Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Over seven full-lengths, Butler has created a multi-volume instruction manual for transcendence.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of instruction

Noun

In doing so, the emirate has built resilience through diversified desalination, energy demand management, and long-term infrastructure planning.

— Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Its eventual deployment could help the university explore how emerging aircraft fit into policing, emergency management, and engineering education.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of management

Noun

The trend marks a stark turn from earlier this decade, when sellers often received well above their asking price as home shoppers empowered by rock-bottom mortgage rates fueled a buying frenzy that sent home prices soaring.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Darker denim tones have really come into their own in the past year, and chocolate hues in particular are a fall fashion trend that shows no signs of slowing down in winter.

— Georgia Trodd, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of trend

Noun

In April 2025, Brad Smith announced that Microsoft would challenge any government order to suspend its European cloud operations through available legal avenues, including the courts.

— Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The quicker Wendy's rids itself of the meth addicts and prison-release system workers, the sooner this brand restores order.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of order

Noun

The magistrate judge ordered the four released on personal recognizance and said they were not required to be under supervision.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
That pressure, coupled with my lack of supervision and distraction with my own reporting, had led to my spectacular failure with Janet Cooke.

— Bob Woodward, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of supervision

Noun

Moderate flooding is possible on low-lying roads and in back bay communities, particularly where water doesn't fully drain between tides.

— Grant Gilmore, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Southern California’s fragile coastline is being transformed one storm at a time by record-setting king tides and storm surges.

— David Hickey, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of tide

Noun

The edict is to transform the operating model when the market fundamentally shifts so the company can thrive in a changing environment.

— Erik Clarke, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
The film by and large follows the edicts of Iranian neorealism, with unobtrusive observations and a naturalistic soundscape.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of edict

Browse Nearby Words

directing

direction

directionless

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Direction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/direction. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of direction

noun

Example Sentences

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