BOSSES Synonyms: 125 Similar and Opposite Words

bosses 1 of 2

noun

plural of boss

as in leaders

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bosses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of boss

as in supervises

to be in charge of she bossed that project for years, until she was promoted again

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in rules

to exercise authority or power over bossed the entire job site for a year

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in leads

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 bosses

Noun

Just not as much as the callous bosses who created this indefensible, toxic situation and the fanatics who once cheered it. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Capcom has also said regular Genma and bosses will provide a tougher fight in the final game. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Under Ellison and new big screen bosses in the form of Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, everyone expected changes to be made at the studios of the new Paramount Skydance. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026 Through their private business dealings, bosses can penetrate ruling parties in other countries and gain proximity to political leaders and access to information that China’s official embassies cannot easily obtain. — Alvin Camba, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2026 His cartel bosses sensed potential and sent him to flight school in Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state. — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Social offloading from bosses, who are both more enthusiastic about and more likely to use AI at work compared with individual contributors, can crush teams. — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 Instead, focus on goals, your career and earning some brownie points with bosses, parents and authority figures. — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2026 The decision to freeze the programs came from Schwartz’s political bosses. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Verb

No harm, no foul — as long as the commission bosses back the changes, Zelden said. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026 Dano and Collette joined co-stars Abigail Breslin and Greg Kinnear and their director bosses Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris at the screening. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bosses

Noun

Whereas many tech leaders have, like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, touted the benefits of AI, many have also expressed concern about its perils.

— Reuters, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
Several Kansas City community leaders are calling for residents to have a meaningful role in selecting the city’s next police chief, weeks after Stacey Graves announced plans to retire next year.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of leaders

Verb

The executive also coordinates and supervises county departments and is responsible for submitting an annual balanced budget to the Legislature.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
Bardin also supervises the company’s equity fund, launched in 2025 to finance documentary films and series with commercial potential.

— Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of supervises

Verb

For instance, European Union rules entitle travelers to standardized monetary compensation for significant flight delays or cancellations within airline control.

— Eve Chen, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
Department of Revenue rules state that Wisconsin residents can claim this credit on only one primary residence.

— Mary Spicuzza, jsonline.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of rules

Verb

The platform CentraLife calls a centralized repository runs leads, calls, policy management, reporting, and compensation across CentraLife’s advisor network as one system.

— Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
The long gallery entry to this corner one-bedroom leads into the spacious living area with four oversize north- and east-facing windows and a pair of dueling chandeliers.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of leads

Noun

Customers were very important; workers, foremen.

— Michael Kilian, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
For years after that, TCU alums who had served as Ranch Week foremen or queen would proudly include it on resumes, in professional biographies or when running for office.

— Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2025

Definition of foremen

Verb

Rochman, the University of Toronto researcher, co-authored a petition urging rigorous scrutiny of microplastics by the International Joint Commission, a binational group that oversees the treaty.

— Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
What the state won't or can't tell us California's Office of Youth and Community Restoration, or OYCR, oversees the LRP educational pathway programs that its director describes as a prison-to-university pipeline.

— Julie Watts August 20, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of oversees

Verb

New regulation governs millions of yards California’s Board of Forestry will ban plants within one foot of homes and most combustibles within five feet for millions in high fire-risk communities.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
This same disinhibition increasingly governs how war itself is waged.

— Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of governs

Verb

Big Ridley commands armies of extras, builds enormous sets and deploys cutting-edge visual effects to create places that no longer exist — or never did.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Alonso’s appointment marks the arrival of a coach who commands authority.

— George Edwards, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026