dictate to
phrasal verb
dictated to; dictating to; dictates to
: to give orders to (someone)
—usually used as (be) dictated to
I resent being dictated to by someone with half my experience.
Examples of dictate to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Turkish pro-government media celebrated it as an assertion of sovereignty, proof that Ankara would not be dictated to by Washington.
—
Bobby Ghosh, Time, 22 Dec. 2025
The Broncos have dictated to offense after offense, week after week.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 13 Dec. 2025
His words are believed to have been dictated to his son Jan, surviving both World War II and subsequent communist rule.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2025
In an apology letter dictated to the court by his lawyer, Jenkins said speaking to children is the most fulfilling part of his life now.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025
This is the federal government working with, not dictating to, our states.
—Brooke L. Rollins, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
Risks of politicizing the Fed That would be especially true if the next Fed chair were to immediately follow the president’s dictate to cut rates.
—Ron Insana, CNBC, 11 July 2025
Both Russia and China dictate to their neighbors and seek veto power over other nations’ decisions about security, diplomacy, and trade.
—Bill Weld, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2019
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.
Bobby Ghosh, Time, 22 Dec. 2025
The Broncos have dictated to offense after offense, week after week.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 13 Dec. 2025
His words are believed to have been dictated to his son Jan, surviving both World War II and subsequent communist rule.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2025
In an apology letter dictated to the court by his lawyer, Jenkins said speaking to children is the most fulfilling part of his life now.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025
This is the federal government working with, not dictating to, our states.
—Brooke L. Rollins, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
Risks of politicizing the Fed That would be especially true if the next Fed chair were to immediately follow the president’s dictate to cut rates.
—Ron Insana, CNBC, 11 July 2025
Both Russia and China dictate to their neighbors and seek veto power over other nations’ decisions about security, diplomacy, and trade.
—Bill Weld, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Dictate to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictate%20to. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share