GOVERNING Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

governing

verb

Definition of governing

present participle of govern

as in ruling

to exercise authority or power over the president is elected in order to govern the country, not to follow public opinion polls

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Relevance

as in regulating

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) you need to govern your speech and be able to communicate your outrage without resorting to profanity

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in managing

to look after and make decisions about the company's finances are governed by its chief financial officer

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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 governing Negotiations to build a governing coalition will likely need to take place. — Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026 More than 20% of Israel's population is Arab, but Arab parties have rarely joined governing coalitions. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026 For instance, in 1970 the mathematician John Conway introduced the Game of Life, where an elementary set of rules governing the movement of pixels on a screen leads to remarkably rich ecosystems. — Noah Giansiracusa, Time, 26 Oct. 2026 If no candidate can assemble a governing coalition, Israel could head to another election, repeating the cycle of political instability that saw the country hold four national votes between April 2019 and March 2021. — Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 The governing party, meanwhile, sought to minimize the significance of Machado’s return. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026 Babiš formed a governing coalition last year with two small political groups whose agenda includes reducing support for Ukraine and rejecting some key European Union policies. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 And the United States has also failed to invest consistently in international technical standards — the common rules governing advanced and interconnected technologies such as telecommunications. — Andrei Iancu, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026 Rebel alliance faces divisions The TPLF joined six other opposition groups in September to try to overthrow Abiy’s governing Prosperity Party. — Khaled Kazziha, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for governing

Verb

The ruling party that acting President Delcy Rodríguez belongs to, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, also staged a gathering near the opposition demonstrators in Caracas, though for a women’s march for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

— Chad de Guzman, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
An influential nationalist group close to the ruling party went further, demanding that Starlink be kept out of India altogether, citing national security concerns.

— Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruling

Verb

In the absence of a federal law regulating them, the responsibility falls to local governments, said Ridout, who estimates that about 30 states have some type of rule or requirement regarding AI in political campaigns.

— Anagilmara Vílchez, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
The agency charged with regulating Colorado’s first-in-the-nation legal recreational marijuana market potentially put consumers at risk of using contaminated products, a new state audit found.

— Christopher Osher, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of regulating

Verb

By contrast, recent restrictions or delays suggest a greater emphasis on managing relations with Beijing and avoiding unnecessary escalation.

— Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
My experience includes managing campaigns, leading teams, and building relationships with community leaders.

— Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of managing

Verb

The Houthis ramped up their advance on Taiz last month, after a lightning-fast capture of the port city of Mokha, an area about 130 kilometers (80 miles) away that is vital to controlling shipping through the Red Sea.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
But Meta’s new SEC filing that posted this week shows that’s in part because of the key difference between owning a company and controlling it.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of controlling

Verb

Instead, her attackers started ripping her gear off her body – her camera bag, her lenses, her pouch containing her American passport, credit cards, documents and other items.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Meghan said a letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle was sent to the authorities and later shared with her.

— Victoria Craw, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of containing

Verb

The test took place aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier operating in the Pacific Ocean.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
The model allows brands to reach customers across cities and markets without bearing the full cost of operating their own stores.

— Yiling Pan, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of operating

Browse Nearby Words

governessy

governing

government

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Style

“Governing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/governing. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of governing

verb

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