dictate 1 of 2

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

dictate

2 of 2

noun

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 dictate
Verb
The offense wasn’t scoring at will on Sunday in Buffalo, allowing the Bills to dictate the game. Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025 In a statement published to X by his office's official account, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday reiterated that the Gaza ceasefire deal dictated Hamas' return of all remaining hostages. David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
When the children’s bus reached the checkpoint to enter Israel, a soldier told the teacher that Khaled was barred from entering, an inscrutable dictate of the authorities. Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025 Devotees give their lives over to the dictates of their AI companions, and some even profess undying love to their digital counterparts, relationships that have led to tragedy. Book Marks october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dictate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictate
Verb
  • Guests can order the complimentary coffee in-bakery, through the mobile app, or online using code FREECOFFEE.
    Cheryl V. Jackson, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Nov. 2025
  • The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered a reduction in flights due to stress on unpaid air traffic controllers.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Most bulbs should be planted pointy side up because the stem and leaves emerge from this end, but check the label for specific instructions.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Instead, customers will have to follow a set of instructions to claim the platform's financial promise.
    Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • In Akita, local authorities requested formal military assistance from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, saying their existing measures – including box traps and bear repellent sprays – weren’t enough.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Customers whose flights are canceled for any reason are able to request a refund without any penalty.
    Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • There was no picture of Krasznahorkai anywhere and somebody came up to him and asked why?
    Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Hall, a first-term Republican from Rudy, has asked a judge to seal filings in the case.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Owners who defy this edict will be tied down and forced to watch their machines being destroyed during a demolition derby that will be free for the public to watch.
    Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Of course, Nix never has to worry about the pain his defensive teammates can inflict, protected in practice by the strict don’t-touch-the-QB edict.
    Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Power politics on the issue of affordability require careful strategizing of the politics of power.
    Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Continuous or not, the current route to reaching AGI requires what would be the largest infrastructure build in history.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • At a moment of increasing niche-ification of the news media business, Axel Springer is running in the opposite direction.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Automation can go in either of these directions; that’s why the task of the left is to create social and cultural conditions in which the benign and constructive aspects of technology and automation are primary.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • In March 1943, an order from the adjutant general’s office superseded this directive.
    Time, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The statement also denies that any of the building closures or return-to-work directives related to the changes violate federal laws.
    Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dictate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictate. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dictate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!