as in stubborn
extremely or overly neat, careful, or precise
My anal-retentive brother keeps records of everything that happens in his life.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Month over month, that would be the same stubborn pace that has persisted for more than two years.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Results show that microbial iron mining can immobilize toxic metals and convert stubborn pollutants into less harmful compounds.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In 2020, during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, many people had a deeply emotional, intensely personal, and perhaps somewhat obsessive relationship with a macroscope.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Including this gossipy memoir for the truly obsessive aesthetes.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Until this year, thanks to the dogged determination of a Mohave County Sheriff's Office detective.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Her dogged efforts to get every manuscript into print succeeded, and Wade makes the best of a musty publishing saga.—
Judith Thurman,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Those strict security measures slowed down traffic and travelers and likely would not be welcome again.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Loosening restrictions Chinese work visas generally come with strict, complex requirements and allow limited stays for a small group of high-end applicants who are sponsored by employers.—
Peter Guo,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Back in January 2024, when Sportico was first to report on Florida State’s conversations with Sixth Street and Arctos Partners, many around the process were adamant to point out that those conversations were private credit (or private capital), not private equity.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Giuffre was adamant that the pain, including several attempts at suicide in the past few years, was part of her story.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anal-retentive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anal-retentive. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share