as in controlling
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as in ordering
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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Recent Examples of dictating
Paul Taylor, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
The 23-year-old forward was the one with the ball in his hands, dictating actions, making decisions.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Jim Root, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Never mind the long history of regulation dictating what goes on inside factories—emergency exits in clothing factories, cleanliness standards in meatpacking facilities, and so on.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
The district's cellphone policy also limits the use of tablets, laptops, wireless headphones and smart watches, dictating that devices must be turned off and put away during the school day.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The platform’s design respects both the professional’s expertise and the patient’s needs, creating a dynamic where technology supports care rather than dictating it.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Instead, Burt argued that policymakers must balance caution with humility and avoid dictating outcomes in a sector that is still young, leaving room for innovation within a sound regulatory framework.
—Anastasia Chernikova, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
And instead of dictating from the central office which books to recommend, Barnes & Noble now lets local booksellers suggest books to their customers, giving the stores a more personal touch, Flanigan said.
—Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Peaceful coexistence is the goal, and that’s not going to happen if one person is dictating what can and can’t happen in the neighborhood.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025
Because light plays a key role in dictating when your body wakes and sleeps, exposing yourself to sunlight even on overcast days will benefit your mood and sleep.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
And these players were initially signed to help Forest become a side capable of retaining more possession and dictating games.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
The 23-year-old forward was the one with the ball in his hands, dictating actions, making decisions.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
Fland also added 15 points and eight assists, playing a terrific floor game and dictating the action from the opening tip.
—Jim Root, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Never mind the long history of regulation dictating what goes on inside factories—emergency exits in clothing factories, cleanliness standards in meatpacking facilities, and so on.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
The district's cellphone policy also limits the use of tablets, laptops, wireless headphones and smart watches, dictating that devices must be turned off and put away during the school day.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The platform’s design respects both the professional’s expertise and the patient’s needs, creating a dynamic where technology supports care rather than dictating it.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Instead, Burt argued that policymakers must balance caution with humility and avoid dictating outcomes in a sector that is still young, leaving room for innovation within a sound regulatory framework.
—Anastasia Chernikova, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
And instead of dictating from the central office which books to recommend, Barnes & Noble now lets local booksellers suggest books to their customers, giving the stores a more personal touch, Flanigan said.
—Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Peaceful coexistence is the goal, and that’s not going to happen if one person is dictating what can and can’t happen in the neighborhood.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025
Because light plays a key role in dictating when your body wakes and sleeps, exposing yourself to sunlight even on overcast days will benefit your mood and sleep.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictating
Adjective
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The podcast paints Jordan as an increasingly controlling and abusive on-and-off-again boyfriend of Arceneaux's who at one point gave her three pages of rules to follow, like sharing social media passwords and her location.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
-
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
Verb
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In the weeks leading up his 2024 election, Nanos reportedly placed his opponent Lappin, a lieutenant at the Pima County Jail, on administrative leave, ordering her not to discuss the reasoning for his decision.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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Futuristic robot figurines Kio and Min-ee are self-ordering kiosks and drive-thru menu displays, while X-Ch4ng3 is the Point-of-Sale system where customers pay.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The President demoted Greg Bovino, the commanding agent in charge of the roving patrols that have besieged Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minneapolis.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Arsenal have allowed their previously commanding lead to slip in recent weeks while Nottingham Forest and West Ham have both found form to boost their chances of avoiding relegation.—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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However, the situation has changed, as members of the democratic party have been requesting that the republicans remove the portion of the appropriations that would fund the Department of Homeland Security, which controls Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).—
Charles Lloyd Bovaird II,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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The village approved a resolution in December requesting the grocery store receive a Cook County Class 7D property tax incentive from the Cook County Assessor.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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My own nonno was a fascist, a Mussolini man, a pilot who had been shot from the sky while flying an imperial mission over Ethiopia.—
Gioia Woods,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
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And they are captivated by a vision of an imperial federation, with a parliament in London, where Britain would be an important partner, but just one, and where Canada and the other dominions would have representation.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mountain search and rescue crews are scouring the dense terrain and asking neighbors to check the scrub for any evidence, Lamie added.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Authorities went to her house Monday night and interviewed other neighbors on Tuesday morning, asking them to be on the lookout and share any footage from security cameras outside their homes.—
Clara Migoya,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In the early years of his fame as a writer, Rushdie had something of a reputation for being prickly and arrogant, but Gibney’s portrait reveals a man mellowed by time and experience.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Jan. 2026
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Spock is this brilliant, arrogant, aloof-to-the-point-of-obnoxiousness genius.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Further complicating matters is the fact that, as the sport attempts to appeal to younger generations, this year the International Skating Union is mandating ice dancers perform to music from the 1990s.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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In 1972, Congress passed a law mandating automatic annual cost-of-living adjustments — or COLAs — to Social Security checks.—
Tom Margenau,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictating. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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