as in stubborn
extremely or overly neat, careful, or precise
My anal-retentive brother keeps records of everything that happens in his life.
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Recent Examples of anal-retentive
But there would be no grease-drinking, Judas-playing Sandy without his anal-retentive best friend, Reuben Feffer.
—
Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
Conventional management practices suppress everything that isn’t vine by mowing, tilling, and spraying herbicide with an intensity that ranges from anal-retentive to paranoid.
—Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2024
One might be forgiven for also thinking that the identification is not so much between the audience and the killer as between Fincher, who is known as something of a filmmaking fusspot, and his anal-retentive central character.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
Conventional management practices suppress everything that isn’t vine by mowing, tilling, and spraying herbicide with an intensity that ranges from anal-retentive to paranoid.
—Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2024
One might be forgiven for also thinking that the identification is not so much between the audience and the killer as between Fincher, who is known as something of a filmmaking fusspot, and his anal-retentive central character.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anal-retentive
Adjective
-
The most glaring of those misses came against Arsenal in October, with Bournemouth trying to break down a stubborn defence following William Saliba’s dismissal.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Traders do see the Fed cutting in June, but much can change between now and then, and a stubborn central bank could set off Trump again.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley reprises his role as the charming yet obsessive serial killer, Joe, who is returning to where his story began: New York City.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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Issues of urban renewal, the value of public art, the difficulty of being married to an obsessive artist and lots more run through Workman’s film.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This glimpse into prehistory is possible thanks to two tiny fossil footprints and the dogged work of an undergraduate intern at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument with a particular interest in ancient tracks, known as trace fossils.—
Amanda Schupak,
CNN Money,
25 Apr. 2025
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With his unique credibility on the topic, Dinges eschews ideological presumptions for a dogged, comprehensive investigation of the facts.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Portuguese manager built his success by adhering to a strict 3-4-3 system at Sporting Lisbon.—
Brett Koremenos,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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Known for his Marian devotion—which encourages piety and seeks the intercession of the Virgin Mary—and strict doctrinal stances, he is viewed as a potential challenger to Parolin, especially in early voting rounds and has odds of 7/1.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Since then, White House officials have remained adamant about sticking by Hegseth, even as criticism has mounted in recent weeks and questions about his judgment have resurfaced.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
22 Apr. 2025
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Despite the significant decline, the Trump administration is adamant about shoring up the border to ensure it is left secure before leaving office.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anal-retentive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anal-retentive. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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