as in leader
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do
every morning the boss hands out a list of top-priority tasks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
slang
as in excellent
of the very best kind
that's a really boss stereo you've got
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to supervise
to be in charge of
she bossed that project for years, until she was promoted again
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to rule
to exercise authority or power over
bossed the entire job site for a year
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to lead
to serve as leader of
bossed the entire gang of electricians on the construction project
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 boss
Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
He has been charged by boss Martha (Sandra Oh) with overseeing the lowly texting and driving department, but more ambitiously aims to earn his senior wings by using Arj as his prime target, trying to convince him that money can’t buy happiness.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
Paul Tassi, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2021
Binning notes that Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of the Niles area, a former Traficant aide who won his ex-boss' congressional seat, was re-elected Tuesday by his smallest-ever margin, defeating GOP former state legislator Christina Hagan by 7.5 percentage points.
—Sabrina Eaton, cleveland, 6 Nov. 2020
Alice Burton, Vulture, 28 July 2025
Ali Larter [who plays Thornton’s feisty ex-wife] bursts through the room wearing half a sarong and starts bossing me around.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for boss
Noun
At the rate things go missing around the store, there’s a good chance her boss might have started to make things difficult for her and the other employees.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
He has been charged by boss Martha (Sandra Oh) with overseeing the lowly texting and driving department, but more ambitiously aims to earn his senior wings by using Arj as his prime target, trying to convince him that money can’t buy happiness.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
This excludes things like putting in legendaries for end of mission rewards or taking them out of non-boss chests.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2021
Binning notes that Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of the Niles area, a former Traficant aide who won his ex-boss' congressional seat, was re-elected Tuesday by his smallest-ever margin, defeating GOP former state legislator Christina Hagan by 7.5 percentage points.
—Sabrina Eaton, cleveland, 6 Nov. 2020
Verb
Bertha sits down with Gladys and finds out that Hector and Sarah’s parents died when Hector was young, and Sarah has been bossing him around ever since.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 28 July 2025
Ali Larter [who plays Thornton’s feisty ex-wife] bursts through the room wearing half a sarong and starts bossing me around.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for boss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boss
Noun
-
Commonly, business leaders, tech journalists, and anyone with a yen to follow the top changes in AI will take a look at what top consultants have to say.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Arkansas ranks high as a national leader in the school choice movement, the head of the state's Educational Freedom Accounts program said Thursday, citing standings from several think tanks and advocacy groups.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But on a day when Mizzou amassed 595 total yards, converted 4 of 5 fourth downs and got an excellent effort from first-year starting quarterback Beau Pribula, surrendering possession had to fill Kansas followers with a sense of dread.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The openings can keep your feet cool or give you an excellent way to show off some eye-catching socks once the weather get cooler.—
Isis Briones,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Four university police officers supervised the event, setting up what appeared to be a sort of perimeter surrounding the group.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
12 Sep. 2025
-
In this photo, mama, who liked posing for the camera, supervises her litter of kittens.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The versatile Ferdi Kadioglu is only just back in contention after a toe injury which required surgery and ruled the Turkey international out from November onwards last season.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, has ruled himself out of the running for a potential 2028 presidential bid.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kirsten Obstacles and my first realisations about society's stereotypical attitudes toward motherhood, being a mother, and being an artist and mother quickly led me to take action.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Cox said there was no information leading authorities to believe there was a second person involved.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
On a white-run construction site in West Africa, an edgy, tightly wound foreman anxiously awaits his bride.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Set on a white-run construction site in West Africa, the story follows an edgy foreman anxiously awaiting his bride, whose presence meets resistance from a cocksure engineer clinging to the hyper-masculine status quo.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And that in turn could help protect hardware like satellites and people like astronauts from these dangerous but awesome eruptions.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The cameras in smartphones these days are nothing short of awesome.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Kansas City Election Board, which oversees voting within Kansas City limits, will receive about $900,000 from the general fund in the Jackson County budget about three weeks before the election, Ealom and KCEB Republican Director Shawn Kieffer said.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Those cuts, included laying off more than half the workers at the Institute of Education Sciences, IES, the arm of the department charged with measuring student achievement and overseeing and processing the data that comes from the tests students take.—
Sequoia Carrillo,
NPR,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Boss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boss. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share