1
as in to rule
to exercise authority or power over
the president is elected in order to govern the country, not to follow public opinion polls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to regulate
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to manage
to look after and make decisions about
the company's finances are governed by its chief financial officer
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of govern
If correct, that meant that something strange was going on with the particles governing radioactivity and with the rules of physics.
—
Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2026
The Fontainebleau Hotel is facing a lawsuit from condo owners in its Tresor and Sorrento towers who claim new rules governing unit rentals have the potential to financially ruin them.
—Larry Seward, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
That should keep the mechanics and engineers quite busy, but in case not, technical representatives from each team as well as the FIA (the sport’s governing body) are sitting down throughout the month to try to fix some problems that are a consequence of F1’s new technical rules.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2026
Wilton Rancheria lost its federal recognition — and its autonomy to govern — in 1959, when the California Rancheria Termination Acts were enacted.
—Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for govern
Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2026
The Fontainebleau Hotel is facing a lawsuit from condo owners in its Tresor and Sorrento towers who claim new rules governing unit rentals have the potential to financially ruin them.
—Larry Seward, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
That should keep the mechanics and engineers quite busy, but in case not, technical representatives from each team as well as the FIA (the sport’s governing body) are sitting down throughout the month to try to fix some problems that are a consequence of F1’s new technical rules.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2026
Wilton Rancheria lost its federal recognition — and its autonomy to govern — in 1959, when the California Rancheria Termination Acts were enacted.
—Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for govern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for govern
Verb
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Changes to electoral rules, increasing executive branch control over the judiciary, media dominance and the use of state resources give the ruling party structural advantages.—
Nick Spicer,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
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The country was then ruled by a military government that saw population growth as a major threat to its economic goals and treated adoptions as a way to reduce the number of mouths to feed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Defense attorneys will likely argue that the explosion was a tragic accident, but was unintended — even if the defendants broke rules meant to regulate the sale and storage of fireworks, Parisi said.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
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The appropriate remedy is congressional overruling of the Marquette case so as to allow the states to regulate loans to their own citizens.—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The idea is already being used by the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state's power grid, to generate up to several hundred megawatts.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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What sets it apart from its peers isn’t just its global reach in investing, but also BlackRock’s use of technology to analyze and manage risk.—
byDebbie Carlson,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Glover also got a chance to test out the manual controls on the capsule ahead of future missions.—
Mark Osborne,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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At this point, operators can control the device next to the patient or behind a lead wall.—
Roni Robbins,
AJC.com,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to a spokesperson for BMC, there was a fire in an electrical room at the hospital but it has since been contained.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Eligible users should have received a notice in the mail or email containing a notice ID and a confirmation code, which is needed when selecting a payment method online.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Zelenskyy didn't identify the countries involved but said Ukrainian personnel operated across several nations, helping strengthen their air defense systems.—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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The union also says it was not informed when FIFA hired OnLocation to be its official hospitality partner, operating food and beverage during games at the tournament, which means a new corporate entity has been inserted into the employment relationship.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called on Iran and the United States to keep their commitment to maintain a ceasefire, after both countries ended historic face-to-face talks without an agreement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Made with a lightweight cotton fabric, this bucket hat will keep your face cool on balmy days.—
Claire West,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Compass now oversaw security at a local college, and moonlighted as an investigator for personal-injury attorneys.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Today, there are only 350 investigators at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, overseeing all 700,000 trucking companies on our roads.—
Ashley Velie,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Govern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/govern. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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