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

Calling that extra work out to your colleagues and bosses can feel awkward. — Melody Wilding, Contributor, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2026 Explore mysterious magical realms as Lola, a young witch, and forge pacts with powerful Familiar bosses to turn enemies into allies. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Nov. 2026 Clark was a headache for producers and a migraine for his bosses. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026 Today’s IndyCar bosses could use a bit of the creativity that spawned the PPG Pace Cars. — Stephen Edelstein, The Drive, 1 Nov. 2026 Our conversation is also perfectly timed to Mohammed’s latest role in George Kay’s slick, sexy War, which landed a two-season order from Sky bosses. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2026 Instead, agency bosses allowed the company to restart operations without consequence. — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026 In a recent interview, the television host had some words for his former bosses. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026 Alex Pretti died at the hands of federal agents and their bosses continue to hide evidence. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Verb

What compelled the British filmmaker to sell his wares to DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran as the potential helmer of Clayface was a phrase coined by original screenwriter Mike Flanagan. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026 Summey first joined Warner Bros as SVP Communications in January 2024 and was later named Head of Communications reporting to Motion Picture bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026 No harm, no foul — as long as the commission bosses back the changes, Zelden said. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bosses

Noun

Party leaders hailed the senator-elect's triumph, with nods to the South's emerging battleground status after other upset victories from North Carolina to Texas.

— BILL BARROW, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
Below, Forbes Coaches Council members share ways leaders can help employees navigate difficult life events while preserving their dignity, privacy and sense of belonging.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 Nov. 2026

Definition of leaders

Verb

Although labs such as DeepSeek and Moonshot AI are private, the state supervises them at every stage and, increasingly, finances them.

— NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
Request the treating physician’s name and qualifications, then ask who performs each stage and how the physician supervises the team.

— Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of supervises

Verb

Florida High School Athletic Association rules state that runners who don’t participate in district meets are ineligible for region and state races.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026
That adviser suggested the president and Democrats could also work together on AI — particularly rules around data centers — and other cost-of-living issues.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of rules

Verb

Nick Brown, Washington’s attorney general, leads a group of Democratic state officials and voting rights advocates who have been planning how to respond if, indeed, there is real federal interference.

— Jen Fifield, ProPublica, 2 Nov. 2026
McDavid is the fastest player in league history to 30 assists, leads all scorers with 39 points and is on pace to join Wayne Gretzky as the only players to reach 200 in a season.

— CBS New York Team, CBS News, 2 Nov. 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

The commissioner oversees an office with 1,400 employees that regulates more than 1,700 home, auto, workers’ compensation and other insurers, as well as more than 510,000 agents, brokers, adjusters, bail agents and other business entities.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
In announcing the changes, SafeSport also nodded to a bipartisan inquiry into a major youth sports organization launched last month by the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, which also oversees SafeSport.

— Molly Hensley-Clancy, ProPublica, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of oversees

Verb

Pancho’s implant, a delicate array of electrodes spread over a flat, flexible rectangular device like a business card, is placed on the surface of his vocal motor cortex, which governs speech production.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2026
What governs the system is the law that governs the company operating it.

— Antoni Kozelski, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026