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 details

intransitive verb

: to direct or conduct the activities of a group or an enterprise by micromanaging them
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.
This means letting go of the impulse to micromanage and instead focusing on outcomes rather than processes. Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 And this is a slippery slope that is going to just cause people who are already struggling to be micromanaged by the government. Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025 Better yet, why did the news of this workout get blasted out so nationally and publicly late Monday before a slew of Tuesday media reports sought to correct and micromanage the narrative? Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2025 Rather than micromanaging, set clear performance expectations and empower employees to take ownership of their roles. Jacob Kupietzky, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 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 4 May. 2025.

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