micromanage
verb
mi·cro·man·age
ˌmī-krō-ˈma-nij 
micromanaged; micromanaging; micromanages
: to manage especially with excessive control or attention to details
: to direct or conduct the activities of a group or an enterprise by micromanaging them
Examples of micromanage in a Sentence
He micromanaged every detail of the budget.
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead of micromanaging the number on the scale, focus on goals like including more foods that directly promote wellbeing.
—
Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Rd, Health, 21 Sep. 2023
According to the release, Leiner’s leadership style hinges on empowering people, giving them the opportunity to innovate, and never micromanaging.
—Pioneer Press Staff, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
On the one hand, that’s better than attempting to micromanage corporate decision-making from Washington, D.C.
—The Editors, National Review, 13 Apr. 2023
These staffers believe Licht was relentlessly micromanaged by Zaslav, and lay many of CNN’s problems — poor ratings, staffing decisions and programming gaffes — at his feet and those of Warner Bros. Discovery.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 June 2023
At another event last month, Rufo argued that micromanaging college classroom discussions was a losing fight for conservatives, and that tenure is not a problem - hiring is.
—Susan Svrluga, Anchorage Daily News, 5 June 2023
The tendency is especially prevalent in executives who want to micromanage their employees.
—Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, Forbes, 5 May 2023
The next day, Hambley filed a lawsuit in state court, accusing the board of micromanaging the department and illegally attempting to dismiss her without cause.
—Patrick Marley, Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2023
At a previous job, the 36-year-old had a supervisor who micromanaged her and constantly loomed over her shoulder.
—Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 7 June 2023
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Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Rd, Health, 21 Sep. 2023
According to the release, Leiner’s leadership style hinges on empowering people, giving them the opportunity to innovate, and never micromanaging.
—Pioneer Press Staff, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
On the one hand, that’s better than attempting to micromanage corporate decision-making from Washington, D.C.
—The Editors, National Review, 13 Apr. 2023
These staffers believe Licht was relentlessly micromanaged by Zaslav, and lay many of CNN’s problems — poor ratings, staffing decisions and programming gaffes — at his feet and those of Warner Bros. Discovery.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 June 2023
At another event last month, Rufo argued that micromanaging college classroom discussions was a losing fight for conservatives, and that tenure is not a problem - hiring is.
—Susan Svrluga, Anchorage Daily News, 5 June 2023
The tendency is especially prevalent in executives who want to micromanage their employees.
—Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, Forbes, 5 May 2023
The next day, Hambley filed a lawsuit in state court, accusing the board of micromanaging the department and illegally attempting to dismiss her without cause.
—Patrick Marley, Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2023
At a previous job, the 36-year-old had a supervisor who micromanaged her and constantly loomed over her shoulder.
—Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 7 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'micromanage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1976, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Dictionary Entries Near micromanage
Cite this Entry
“Micromanage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/micromanage. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
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