as in to order
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority
dictated that the terms of surrender be negotiated by his senior staff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in order
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned
a starchily worded dictate from on high concerning the company's dress code
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dictate
Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Selecting that is always among the most difficult parts in his process, Cerrudo said, because music carries such weight in dictating the identity of a dance.
—Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
There is perhaps no sport that is more in thrall to the dictates of orthodoxy than baseball, which is so steeped in tradition that a visit to the ballpark is often a bit like hopping into a time machine.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictate
Verb
The state superintendent shouldn’t dictate every lesson, but the office should set clear, practical standards for what high-quality curriculum and teaching look like in every California classroom.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Selecting that is always among the most difficult parts in his process, Cerrudo said, because music carries such weight in dictating the identity of a dance.
—Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026
Noun
The girls decide to go and look for a traditional skirt for Qihuo to commemorate this rite of passage, as tradition dictates.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
There is perhaps no sport that is more in thrall to the dictates of orthodoxy than baseball, which is so steeped in tradition that a visit to the ballpark is often a bit like hopping into a time machine.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictate
Verb
-
Early in the morning on May 6, police in riot gear encircled the encampment and ordered everyone to clear out, arresting 64 individuals who stayed.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
Henry White was sentenced to 37 months in prison in December and was ordered to pay the same restitution amount as his sister, officials said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
But when cooking them at home, detour from the package instructions.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 May 2026
-
His book is both an instruction guide and a primer.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The vote requests that the department’s all-civilian watchdog adopt new guidelines similar to San Francisco, which bars police officers from pulling people over for broken taillights and other minor equipment violations unless there is a safety threat.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Deputies determined Mattson was on felony probation and requested that Sacramento County Probation place a hold on him, but the department declined, according to the Sheriff’s Office.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The congresswoman asked lawmakers to assess the situation and develop a repatriation plan by the end of the day on May 7.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
The debate was sponsored by The Denver Post, Denver7 and Colorado Public Radio, and the first question asked Bennet and Weiser to identify a policy position that separated them.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
My worry is edicts from Hartford.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
While many edicts are necessary to protect public safety, many more are redundant, wasteful and anti-competitive, piling on unnecessary costs and stymieing innovation.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And on Monday, the ship operator said two crew members — one British, one Dutch — had acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe but both requiring urgent medical care.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
-
Both hires require formal approval from their respective school boards, which are expected to vote in May.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
The global war concluded inconclusively, with territory changing hands in many directions.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Adjust the plan, and let that flexibility keep everything working without losing your own direction or sense of independence in the process.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
This directive was introduced to assist the European film industry, which has had trouble competing with Hollywood films.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
5 May 2026
-
Under directives from President Hosni Mubarak, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) withdrew routing data, and disabled key network infrastructure within two hours.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictate. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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