dominate
verb
dom·i·nate
ˈdä-mə-ˌnāt 
dominated; dominating
2
: to exert the supreme determining or guiding influence on
ambition dominated his life
3
: to overlook from a superior elevation or command because of superior height or position
a hill that dominates the town
4
a
: to be predominant in
maples dominate the forest
b
: to have a commanding or preeminent place or position in
name brands dominate the market
1
: to have or exert mastery, control, or preeminence
his desire to dominate
a dominating factor in industrial growth
2
: to occupy a more elevated or superior position
Examples of dominate in a Sentence
One company has dominated the market for years.
He dominated her life for many years.
His work dominated the art scene last year.
Our team dominated throughout the game.
Our team dominated play throughout the game.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Iran war is expected to dominate discussions at next week’s spring meetings of the World Bank and the IMF, with Georgieva presenting a speech on Thursday.
—
Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2026
DeGrom was back on the mound on Monday and unsurprisingly rebounded in dominating fashion, giving up one run off one hit with six strikeouts in five innings with his four-seam fastball as his most effective pitch, throwing it 44% of the time and accounting for five of his strikeouts.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
Like nuclear-fission research, machine learning was a small scientific field with epochal implications which was dominated by a cadre of eccentric geniuses.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
China dominates renewable energy supply chains, producing a vast majority of the world’s solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles.
—Rudy Lu, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dominate
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Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2026
DeGrom was back on the mound on Monday and unsurprisingly rebounded in dominating fashion, giving up one run off one hit with six strikeouts in five innings with his four-seam fastball as his most effective pitch, throwing it 44% of the time and accounting for five of his strikeouts.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
Like nuclear-fission research, machine learning was a small scientific field with epochal implications which was dominated by a cadre of eccentric geniuses.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
China dominates renewable energy supply chains, producing a vast majority of the world’s solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles.
—Rudy Lu, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dominate
Cite this Entry
“Dominate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dominate. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dominate
verb
dom·i·nate
ˈdäm-ə-ˌnāt
dominated; dominating
1
: to have a commanding position or controlling power over
2
: to seem to command by rising high above
a volcano dominates the island
Etymology
derived from Latin dominari "to rule, govern, control," from dominus "master, owner" — related to condominium, dame, domain, dominion, don entry 2
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