1
as in domineering
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in regulating
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
you must learn to control your temper
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in containing
to gain emotional or mental control of
he controlled himself only with the greatest difficulty in the face of his opponent's insulting remarks
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3
as in governing
to exercise authority or power over
circumstances often control the choices we make in life
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4
as in managing
to look after and make decisions about
during the period that she controlled the company it was highly profitable
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of controlling
Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
Yet another was a forum for people who, like me, had left a highly controlling religious denomination.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 14 May 2026
Her students have more trouble controlling their bodies and expressing their feelings.
—Stacker, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for controlling
Adjective
Rousseau is a notoriously controlling and meticulous leader, obsessed with optics and strict about the physical fitness of his members.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
Yet another was a forum for people who, like me, had left a highly controlling religious denomination.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
In April, as reported, Fabrizio Freda, the former longtime CEO of The Estée Lauder Companies, was appointed special strategic adviser by Ferragamo Finanziaria SpA, the holding company of the Ferragamo family and the controlling shareholder of the fashion group.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 14 May 2026
Her students have more trouble controlling their bodies and expressing their feelings.
—Stacker, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for controlling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controlling
Adjective
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Down at the bottom of the hierarchy, or really not ranked at all, is Lucien (Jérémy Gillet), a fey and cosseted twink of privilege who longs to meet Jim but is kept at home, safely away from anything gay, by his domineering mother.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
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Arenberg will play the sisters’ domineering father.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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You’re supposed to win when that happens … except that the two Dodgers starters, Shohei Ohtani and Blake Snell, were equally dominating.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Airy and breathable, these temperature-regulating pants feature an elastic waistband that’s quick and easy to pull on, and comfortable enough to wear for hours on busy travel days.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
20 May 2026
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Montana lawmakers also passed legislation that bars the state from regulating planet-warming emissions, unless the federal government does so first.—
Ellis Juhlin,
NPR,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Boxes from the White House, some containing classified material, had been found crammed into a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago, next to a toilet and below a crystal chandelier.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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Planters containing other trees and perennials, including hazel, hawthorn, field maples, ferns, and grasses, will continue the forest theme through the colonnade to the main entrance.—
Anne Doran,
ARTnews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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At the same time, only one in five companies has a mature model for governing autonomous AI agents, even as agentic AI usage is poised to rise sharply, per the same report.—
Shiv Kaushik,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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Reliance on external infrastructure therefore risks leaving African countries dependent not only on foreign technology providers, but on foreign legal frameworks governing sensitive health information.—
Francisca Mutapi,
semafor.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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If managing cholesterol is a priority, aim to eat one cup of cooked oatmeal per day.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
17 May 2026
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That’s why the younger version of himself — that kid who arrived in NASCAR two decades ago simply wanting to drive race cars —would never have imagined owning a team or managing a company.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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Apes, on the other hand, have much flatter, more grasping feet, indicating that they’re better suited for climbing than for repetitive ground contact.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2026
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My hope is tenuous, grasping; scar tissue from 108 years of futility is never fully salved.—
Stephen J. Nesbitt,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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DeMaio has built his own particularly cogent political organization in San Diego Republican circles, according to previous reporting by CalMatters.—
Andrew Graham
May 15,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
-
Her former colleague, Paul Michel, says Newman is clear and cogent.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Controlling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controlling. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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