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
-
Jared Speight is a stubborn titan of Long Island abstraction when star writer Roxy Margaux first becomes infatuated with his bravado.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
-
For concrete or tile, a mild cleaner helps remove the stubborn pollen film that builds up over spring months.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Jess Scheer, the CEO of The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), says there’s a strong association between obsessive tracking and disordered eating and eating disorders.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Gadd adapted his one-man show about his experience with an obsessive fan for the Emmy-winning series set up at the streamer — which is now in litigation with Fiona Muir-Harvey, who claims to be the inspiration behind Jessica Gunning’s stalker character.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Images like that—paired with her more dogged energy on some of these tracks—suggest there is hope buried somewhere in these songs.—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
21 Apr. 2026
-
His parents ran a rowdy daycare out of their home an hour north of Denver, and Caldwell looks back at his dogged digging as an early attempt to find the kind of peace and clarity his mind has always naturally craved.—
Namir Khaliq,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In a fireside chat with Sarah Jones, senior editor of strategic content at Sourcing Journal, Lewkowitz said the industry’s shift toward transparency is no longer optional, but a fundamental requirement for survival in a volatile climate and a stricter regulatory landscape.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
27 Apr. 2026
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This could also open up the possibility that the organization could punish Sorsby for his gambling actions, given the NCAA has a very strict policy on betting.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Warsh would take the chairmanship at a complicated time, given that a spike in gas prices could keep the central bank from lowering interest rates — a move that Trump has been adamant on.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Trump has been adamant that Iran give up its nuclear power ambitions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in order for the war to end.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anal-retentive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anal-retentive. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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