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
-
Some of his customers swear by it for getting rid of stubborn pit stains and freshening up musty towels, too.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
22 Aug. 2025
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Walton’s stubborn insistence that Smyth face charges is unusual.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Over the weekend, as online sleuths scoured photos of Trump for evidence of any frailty, the political scientist Ian Bremmer pointed out that obsessive scrutiny of a leader’s health is a hallmark of authoritarian countries.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
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Just as Manning accelerated his growth through obsessive attention to detail, studying defenses and the sleight of hand of play-action artists like Boomer Esiason, Nix is more than willing to get bleary-eyed in the film room or pick the brain of future Hall of Famer Drew Brees.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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One thing worth noting, however, was its dogged commitment to improving the fortunes of women in esports, which is continued right up until its final weeks, regularly hosting creator parties, panelist discussions, and more from its soon-to-close HQ.—
Matt Gardner,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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Yet to this day, her anguished family, who have become dogged investigators themselves, don’t know what really happened to Amy.—
Liam Quinn,
People.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Neville said he's noticed many boutique and family-run hotels, especially in high-demand spots like Dubrovnik, Prague, and Santorini, booking out earlier than ever, requiring full deposits up front, and enforcing strict cancellation policies.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Jackets, ties, nylons and shoulder pads made a comeback, all in strict adherence to a dress code that hadn't been revised in decades.—
Darlin Tillery,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As such, Mahomes evidently not only is immune to complacency but actually has become more adamant with success.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
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After taking a year off to improve his health, Renfrow was adamant about playing for the Panthers.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anal-retentive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anal-retentive. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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