stage-manage
verb
stage-man·age
ˈstāj-ˌma-nij 
stage-managed; stage-managing; stage-manages
1
a
: to arrange or exhibit so as to achieve a desired effect
b
: to arrange or direct from behind the scenes
2
: to act as stage manager for
stage management
noun
Examples of stage-manage in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, with the Foundation’s stage-managing, downtown Mount Vernon saw the rebuild (with AF funds) of a former town square eyesore that is now the lovely Mount Vernon Grand Hotel.
—
Jack Fowler, National Review, 4 July 2025
So says Eleanor, who embodies the movie’s reality principle, not only handling the logistics of the ailing architect’s hospital stay and of Jin’s visit but also stage-managing, with unseen but adroit string-pulling, Casey’s new future.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
Taylor Swift and Katy Perry’s feud — over backup dancers, of all things — was still partly stage-managed.
—Remy Blumenfeld, HollywoodReporter, 5 Apr. 2025
Most of Biden’s media appearances have been stage-managed and sparing, and recently, they have been used as a form of damage control.
—Candy Woodall, Baltimore Sun, 12 July 2024
Donors to his campaign have been struck by how stage-managed those receptions tend to be.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 12 July 2024
In fact, most studios stage-managed their contract players’ public images, dressing them on-screen and off.
—Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2024
Over the next two decades, Fulbright would stage-manage some of the most deeply civic moments of the era.
—Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2021
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Jack Fowler, National Review, 4 July 2025
So says Eleanor, who embodies the movie’s reality principle, not only handling the logistics of the ailing architect’s hospital stay and of Jin’s visit but also stage-managing, with unseen but adroit string-pulling, Casey’s new future.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
Taylor Swift and Katy Perry’s feud — over backup dancers, of all things — was still partly stage-managed.
—Remy Blumenfeld, HollywoodReporter, 5 Apr. 2025
Most of Biden’s media appearances have been stage-managed and sparing, and recently, they have been used as a form of damage control.
—Candy Woodall, Baltimore Sun, 12 July 2024
Donors to his campaign have been struck by how stage-managed those receptions tend to be.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 12 July 2024
In fact, most studios stage-managed their contract players’ public images, dressing them on-screen and off.
—Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2024
Over the next two decades, Fulbright would stage-manage some of the most deeply civic moments of the era.
—Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2021
Cite this Entry
“Stage-manage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stage-manage. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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