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

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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
Instead of charging the $20,000 that cost recovery would dictate — $30,000 in the special-event zone — the city would charge $5,600 for those two spots. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025 Once Whiskey Sisters Supply was up and running, its owners let local distillers dictate what to plant. Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
The White House dictates; Puerto Rico enforces. Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 16 Sep. 2025 This will not only strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in life sciences but also ensure that patients across the country can benefit from the best innovations at the pace they are needed – rather than at the pace bureaucracy dictates. Kath MacKay, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dictate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictate
Verb
  • Mayor Chris Carney said the town received two drones for the price of one because Mooresville was among the first communities in the country to order the new technology.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2025
  • In September, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy cited the pursuit of innovation, collaboration and connection in ending the company’s three-days-in the-office hybrid model and ordering employees — including those at the company’s Bay Area offices — back in five days a week.
    Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Follow these instructions to enable your phone to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs).
    Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The instruction from the government prompted the national strike.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Another business owner requested simplifying licensing processes and making renewals easier.
    Mars King, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Before the crash, air traffic control audio captures the pilots requesting an altitude range — known as a block altitude — to maneuver the airplane.
    Pete Muntean, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Murray, in turn, was asked to be a two-way player in ways that were not necessarily originally expected for the young prospect with a deft shooting touch.
    David Aldridge, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Get people to ask hard questions about everything and not to trust anything on its face.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • The announcement mentioned relocating operations due to Trump’s edict, suggesting that the global group’s fundraising apparatus is based in the United States.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Then they’re required to defend the forgery.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Given all the repairs and retooling required, the bye comes at a good time.
    Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Gathering Communist Party elites will review China’s upcoming five-year plan, an economic blueprint whose direction is strictly dictated by top leadership in the authoritarian state.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Then, pick a patch of sky 40 degrees away in the direction of your local zenith, which is the point directly above your head.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But there was uncertainty whether the directive included the Coast Guard, which is a military branch, but falls under the Department of Homeland Security during peace time, the AP reported.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
  • But such a directive was a reminder nonetheless that McMillan had a remarkable day.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dictate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictate. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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