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

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as in leads

to serve as leader of bossed the entire gang of electricians on the construction project

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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

Stocks tied to the AI boom slumped on Monday after the three biggest AI bosses warned the frantic pace of model development needed to be slowed. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026 Attend events, reconnect with former colleagues and reach out to former bosses. — Michelle Perchuk, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026 Southwind bought a majority stake in February 2018, with former bosses Roures and Benet retaining minority stakes. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026 The budget at Liverpool has historically been less-easily loosened than at some of their rival clubs, though Hughes succeeded in persuading his bosses to break their transfer record to go big for Wirtz, Isak and Barcola. — James Pearce, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Vanhée ended the night dancing alongside her bosses to a Fatboy Slim set in the pub. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 When union dues are forced, union bosses can ignore workers’ needs and interests with impunity. — Mark Mix, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026 The Fox bosses have been known to bristle at that — which helps explain why Bartiromo’s disclosure to the White House was such a big deal internally. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 What Billy doesn’t realize is how little any of that matters in the real game—the one being played by the town’s political bosses. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026

Verb

The show comes from Goalhanger’s drama bosses Joel Emery and Adam Jarrell, and was developed with input from current and former military and defence professionals, including serving airborne serviceman and military adviser Sergeant Dave Allen. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026 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

Thaci was on trial with three other former KLA leaders who fought Serb forces in the 1998-99 war and are widely regarded as national heroes in Kosovo.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
That shift catches most finance and engineering leaders off guard, because by the time the question becomes urgent, there’s already a client waiting, a deadline attached and pressure to just get something working.

— Nick Chandi, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of leaders

Verb

In her current role, Second Assistant District Attorney, Sprague supervises all homicides that occur in Plymouth County as well as all firearm and narcotics cases, according to her profile.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
The quotation should identify who designs the hairline, administers local anesthesia, performs recipient incisions and supervises graft placement.

— Malana VanTyler, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of supervises

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

Last year, Florida trustees approved the hiring of Michigan president Santa Ono, but the board that oversees all of the state’s universities and colleges rejected him.

— Matt Baker, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
But the education department oversees the Commission for Independent Education, which licenses unaccredited, private schools like Carleen.

— Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of oversees

Verb

Yet no such regulation governs the people in the stands at these matches — with Irish fans typically singing the folk song Fields of Athenry during the haka in response, while England supporters opt for their rugby anthem, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
The Senate's farm bill, an omnibus piece of legislation rolled out every five years that governs everything from rural development and crop insurance to nutrition programs, has languished in committee during McConnell’s absence.

— Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of governs

Verb

There, wisteria blooms on trellises, raspberries ripen on bushes, a cold-plunge pool commands sweeping views of downtown Manhattan—and a chicken coop looms in the corner.

— Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 10 Sep. 2026
The left brain, by contrast, commands language processing, and following a stroke to the left brain, a person can develop not only a communication disorder but often post-stroke depression as well.

— Michael P.H. Stanley, STAT, 10 Sep. 2026