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
-
One of the people that is most stubborn in their support of these spendy projects is Senator Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana.—
Roger Valdez,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
For indoor brick, keep it simple by trying a slightly damp brush to sweep away stubborn dirt.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
Even the most obsessive dancing queen will find fresh storytelling and breadth in these pages.—
EW Staff Published,
EW.com,
20 June 2025
-
And Williams really stuck the landing by disclosing a relatable flaw: obsessive rule-following.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
My favorite answers to this question are populated with an insightful librarian or a dogged schoolteacher.—
Literary Hub
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
-
War Horse Year: 2011 Runtime: 2h 26m Easily mocked — most notably in a clever Saturday Night Live sketch — this film is hokey and overly earnest yet still pretty much works, thanks to a committed British cast and Spielberg’s dogged mythmaking.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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The train itself is powered by energy-efficient DX-class diesel-electric locomotives, and the carrier maintains strict environmental protocols, including waste minimization and recycling practices on board.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
-
Officials accomplished this by re-evaluating risk, putting strict limits on how long a person can be held in isolation and expanding behavioral health programs.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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President Donald Trump has been adamant his tariffs will bring factory jobs back to American shores.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 June 2025
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Among the holdouts are members of the SALT Caucus, who have been adamant that any deal from the Senate that does not match the one that passed the House is dead on arrival.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anal-retentive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anal-retentive. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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