MICROMANAGE Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

micromanage

verb

Definition of micromanage

as in to control

chiefly US to try to oversee all the small parts of (something, such as an activity) in a way that is usually not wanted or that causes problems He micromanaged every detail of the budget.

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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 micromanage Alston also alleged the trustees micromanaged the hiring of key leaders. — Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026 This is not an argument for employers to micromanage medicine. — Eugene Litvak, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026 But even if the lovebirds are tightly micromanaged behind the scenes, there's no substitute for lived experience as the pair have grown visibly more comfortable just being themselves in the limelight. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 July 2026 More pragmatic figures in the establishment accuse these hard-liners of upsetting the country’s social peace with needless political repression, and by seeking to micromanage the lifestyles of ordinary people. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for micromanage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for micromanage

Verb

In her latest book, Harvard historian Jill Lepore argues that Big Tech now controls the United States—and, by extension, the entire planet.

— Nina Verdelli, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
He was angered when the team's controlling owner moved the team to Atlanta for the 1966 season.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of control

Verb

Seventy-one percent also doubt that his village cooperatives policy—which plans to establish hubs in roughly 80,000 communities to handle basic-goods distribution, savings, and other rural services—would succeed.

— Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The case remains under investigation and is being handled by the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Division, according to Arcadia police.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of handle

Verb

Key Takeaways The experiment revealed an unexpected way to manipulate the weak magnetism inside an atomic nucleus.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
Some see promise in manipulating the gut microbiome; others are exploring the potential of stimulating the vagus nerve, eliciting a psychedelic experience or repurposing drugs that might quiet inflammation in the brain.

— Lynne Peeples, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of manipulate

Verb

For example, my team and I designed a survivorship clinic at UPMC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to address the most common issues head and neck cancer survivors experience.

— Marci Lee Nilsen, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2026
Employees form a small team, select a non-profit, and begin work on addressing the community challenge.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of address

Verb

On the one hand, the relief came through energy, when Washington granted a series of short-term waivers that kept the NIS refinery running while Hungary’s MOL negotiated to buy out the Russian stake.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
With an unfriendly Congress, decisions about who pays and where cuts are made will also test Lula’s ability to negotiate.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of negotiate

Verb

Children under 12 must be accompanied by a supervising companion who is at least 14 years old.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
The California Department of State Hospitals contracts with Liberty Healthcare to supervise people convicted of specific crimes and who also struggle with significant mental health conditions.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of supervise

Verb

Space companies are regulated primarily by the FCC, which governs technologies used by satellites.

— Max Harden, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
The controversy emphasized how California, where shelters are overflowing with animals, failed to regulate private rescue groups.

— Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of regulate

Verb

Allen took only two dribbles — one before midcourt and one after — gathered his feet, and pulled up from the left side of the arc.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
Revell said that no arrests had yet been made, nor anyone taken into custody, but that police believed one shooter was involved.

— Samantha Cookinham, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of take

Browse Nearby Words

microfibers

micromanage

micromanaged

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“Micromanage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanage. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of micromanage

verb

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