micromanage

verb

mi·​cro·​man·​age ˌmī-krō-ˈma-nij How to pronounce micromanage (audio)
micromanaged; micromanaging; micromanages

transitive verb

: to manage especially with excessive control or attention to small matters that is not wanted or causes problems
likes to micromanage every detail of the budget

intransitive verb

: to direct or conduct the activities of a group or an enterprise by micromanaging them
Your team members … want to develop and self-direct. If you micromanage, they can't demonstrate their competence …Lisa Zigarmi
micromanagement noun
micromanager noun

Examples of micromanage in a Sentence

He micromanaged every detail of the budget.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
What once was an obstacle to allowing others to help, has come under new management, finally allowing the rest of the family to jump in on the action without fear of being micromanaged. Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2025 Through automating repetitive tasks, flagging risks, and prioritizing leads, monday CRM helps companies spend less time micromanaging complex systems and more time closing on important, meaningful deals. Ethan Stone, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025 Kinahan is known to micromanage his appearances on social media. Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 Allen even complained that he was being micromanaged about a week before the Tamarac murders. Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for micromanage

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of micromanage was in 1976

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Cite this Entry

“Micromanage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/micromanage. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on micromanage

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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