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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in supervises
to be in charge of
she bossed that project for years, until she was promoted again
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in rules
to exercise authority or power over
bossed the entire job site for a year
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
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
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Recent Examples of bosses
Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
Steer clear of authority figures, bosses and the police, because anger and frustration might get you into trouble.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
City managers come and go, but those who keep their bosses happy stay awhile.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
Watford will now begin a search for their 15th head coach appointment, not counting interim bosses, since September 2019 when Gracia left for the first time, and their 12th since the end of the 2020-21 season.
—Colin Millar, New York Times, 3 May 2026
The pandemic pushed more workers than ever before into remote work, out of sight of their bosses.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
Director Orson Krennic Anybody in middle management can relate to this Imperial officer who's saddled with getting a big project up and running (in his case, the first Death Star), forced to deal with uncaring bosses and winds up having some rebellious types screw the whole thing up.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Race, bad bosses and the fly-on-the-wall fun of watching office politics and micro-aggressions play out makes this workplace suspense novel a total page-turner (as well as a binge-worthy limited television series).
—Laura Zigman, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Verstappen, who won four championships from 2021 through 2024, was voted by fellow drivers and team bosses as the greatest driver last year after dragging a subpar car to within inches of a fifth title, narrowly losing out to McLaren’s Lando Norris.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 1 May 2026
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
Noun
The 12 years with the fastest employment growth saw bosses statewide increase staffing at an average rate of 3% per year.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
Steer clear of authority figures, bosses and the police, because anger and frustration might get you into trouble.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
City managers come and go, but those who keep their bosses happy stay awhile.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
Watford will now begin a search for their 15th head coach appointment, not counting interim bosses, since September 2019 when Gracia left for the first time, and their 12th since the end of the 2020-21 season.
—Colin Millar, New York Times, 3 May 2026
The pandemic pushed more workers than ever before into remote work, out of sight of their bosses.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
Director Orson Krennic Anybody in middle management can relate to this Imperial officer who's saddled with getting a big project up and running (in his case, the first Death Star), forced to deal with uncaring bosses and winds up having some rebellious types screw the whole thing up.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Race, bad bosses and the fly-on-the-wall fun of watching office politics and micro-aggressions play out makes this workplace suspense novel a total page-turner (as well as a binge-worthy limited television series).
—Laura Zigman, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Verstappen, who won four championships from 2021 through 2024, was voted by fellow drivers and team bosses as the greatest driver last year after dragging a subpar car to within inches of a fifth title, narrowly losing out to McLaren’s Lando Norris.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 1 May 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
-
Following community debate over safety versus access to alternative mobility options, city leaders in La Mesa voted to ban e-bike use for riders under 12.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
The leaders discussed trade on Thursday, with Xi saying that China’s door of opportunity will open wider.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Major Kevin Corbett, who works for the BSO’s detention department, testified that the rapper is kept in a 30-cell unit by himself and an emergency-response team — dressed in tactical attire — supervises him 24 hours a day.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
-
The Chinese government officially recognizes five religions — Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Islam — and tightly supervises them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Technically, the Heat isn’t eligible to trade its 2026 first-round pick because NBA rules prevent teams from being without a first-round selection in two consecutive years.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 May 2026
-
So the Beef Court rules in favor of Rivers.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
After a 23-43 season in his first season, Jackson leads the Warriors to back-to-back playoff appearances with 47 and 51 wins but was fired amid a backdrop of friction with management (including team advisor Jerry West) and fostering a poor work environment.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
10 May 2026
-
The Eagles have won over 75 percent of their faceoffs this season and faceoff specialist Kevin Ratzlaff leads the group with a win percentage of 77 percent.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
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
Verb
-
But Stephen Bell, who oversees Park 597, said his staff hasn't found any record of a successful eaglet hatching in Chicago for more than 100 years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
-
Eskamani also called for reforms to how FWC oversees facilities housing the animals, as the agency is not equipped to perform medical checks on the animals.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The same logic governs the risk functions.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
The neighborhood governs how the assets are used, maintaining local control in perpetuity while using profits for reinvestment.—
Alex Amouyel,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Weekend nights, Cleotilde Juárez Ramírez commands this patch of sidewalk, wielding a comal the size of a satellite dish over a brazier.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Leverage in the Shadows Beyond private credit, the broader non-bank financial sector carries elevated leverage that commands the Fed’s attention.—
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bosses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bosses. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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