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

The bosses of two rival firms, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SpaceX’s Elon Musk, quickly concurred. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026 Alom is part of a group of immigrants who have arrived in the city over the past five years with the goal of starting businesses, building careers and becoming their own bosses. — Maykel Gonzalez, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026 Discord reigned in the intensifying debate over AI safety regulation, with tech bosses taking opposing stances and government leaders sharing little common ground. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Every other subplot was the product of ESPN’s poor handling of the situation and Clark accusing us of conspiring with his former bosses. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Many of these business owners are driven chiefly by a desire to be their own bosses rather than to become rich, Zwick said. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 College admissions officials, potential bosses, and even future romantic partners may turn to the internet to gain information about them. — Sarah Vanbuskirk, Parents, 16 Sep. 2026 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

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

The pact is expected to be signed at the ASEAN Summit this November, when leaders from the group’s 11 member states will converge in Manila.

— Jon M. Huntsman, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026
Stanford professor Matt Abrahams and Zapier CEO Wade Foster discuss how leaders are using AI to synthesize information, structure ideas, prepare for difficult conversations, and rehearse for high-stakes moments.

— Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of leaders

Verb

Some act like the cool parent who supervises their child’s drug use.

— Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of supervises

Verb

Paul Paul of Dune, the heir to the House of Atreides that rules the planet of Caladan, spends most of his story trying to outrun a destiny that’s been mapped out for him by others.

— Sarah Scott, Parents, 17 Sep. 2026
If the court rules in their favor, Kushner’s project may have to be halted.

— Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of rules

Verb

Toney, who caught a team-high 12 passes for 114 yards on Friday and leads UM with 28 catches, 444 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns, was also banged up with an undisclosed injury and limited in the second half.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
In the National League, Philadelphia leads Arizona by four games for the final wild card, so anyone rooting for chaos this coming week may be disappointed.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 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

Murphy serves as the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee, which oversees funding for ICE.

— Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
Initially, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, said the agency was tracking miscarriages in monthly reports in response to The Guardian’s follow-up questions about the missing data.

— Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of oversees

Verb

The extraordinary visibility of men standing beside women during Woman, Life, Freedom demonstrated how far parts of Iranian society have moved ahead of the state that governs them.

— Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
The district, which governs most public roads in Ada County, often manages traffic and decides, for example, when to widen local streets.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of governs

Verb

The overwhelmingly white and male leadership commands an enlisted force in which 34% identify with a racial minority group and 17% are women.

— Jeremiah Favara, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
This atmosphere can only get worse, and society is watching something different from what the law commands.

— MAURICIO SAVARESE, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026