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

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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

But with many of the bosses atop those agencies exiting, a new concern over what that may mean is starting. — Chris Tye, CBS News, 14 July 2026 Typically reserved for autocrats and crime bosses, sanctions can be devastating. — ABC News, 14 July 2026 National fire bosses have raised preparedness to near-maximum levels, shuffling thousands of firefighters and aircraft among Western states as more than 5,600 square miles burn, far above recent averages. — Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 New York Times Gen X bosses are disengaging, while Gen Z talent is quitting. — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 13 July 2026 My last bosses had created a toxic work environment in which people hesitated to speak up, question authority, or make mistakes. — Leslie Friday, CNBC, 10 July 2026 Gang bosses had enjoyed surreal luxuries inside — a zoo, a discotheque, a cockfight arena — while directing rackets that had spread across the hemisphere as Tren de Aragua took control of smuggling routes and victimized Venezuelan immigrants. — Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 10 July 2026 But other senior officers have followed Caine’s tight-lipped lead, careful not to seem at odds with their bosses. — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026 That the department answers to Orrick, the commission and the mayor alike has led past police chiefs to publicly rail against having so many bosses. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 9 July 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

The question of Wardlaw’s mental health has been brought up before — and is now being used by Republican lawmakers to try to criticize city leaders for not properly enforcing the state’s camping ban for large cities.

— Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 15 July 2026
Morale has plummeted as a succession of mostly temporary leaders have come and gone — the front office filled with political appointees, many of them with little or no training in medicine or public health.

— Mike Stobbe, Fortune, 15 July 2026

Definition of leaders

Verb

David Smith, who supervises the district’s aedes crew, said his team has received an increasing number of service requests for day-biting mosquitoes within the neighborhood.

— Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
View on Spotify Randall Poster, Air Mail’s Music Editor, supervises the music in movies.

— Air Mail, Air Mail, 4 July 2026

Definition of supervises

Verb

If the business rules live in tribal knowledge, AI surfaces the gaps.

— Sanjay Srivastava, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Pahira's death comes as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has made tightening commercial driver licensing rules a top priority following multiple fatal crashes involving non-domiciled CDL holders over the past two years.

— Elaine Mallon , James Cirrone , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of rules

Verb

Mbappe leads a strong French attack France reached the semi-finals after defeating Morocco 2-0, recording another clean sheet and reinforcing their status as the tournament favourites.

— Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Burke says the interim boss at CPD, Fred Waller, is known and respected, but who leads long-term at 35th and Michigan remains unclear.

— Chris Tye, CBS News, 14 July 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

This 12-jurist body oversees the activities of Iran’s parliament, determining if laws passed are compatible with sharia and can demand that legislation be revised.

— Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
The Alamo Trust, the nonprofit organization that oversees the Alamo Mission, announced the discovery on June 16.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026

Definition of oversees

Verb

Beyond spectrum, the same scarcity governs orbital slots, which are handed out first-come, first-served, so the biggest constellations race to file before rivals can.

— Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
The Texas Center for Arts and Academics governs two public charter schools, one in Fort Worth.

— Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026

Definition of governs

Verb

The sanctions bill has gone through several iterations but still commands a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 13 July 2026
The track commands not only the Billboard Hot 100, but also several of the tallies that help build the main songs roster in the nation.

— Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026