dictating 1 of 2

adjective

as in controlling

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dictating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dictate
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 dictating
Adjective
As well as his tempo-dictating actions on the ball, Rodri also tops the list for counter-pressing wins among all players in this World Cup. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 18 July 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
In 1922, when the river’s waters ⁠seemed inexhaustible, the seven states created a water-sharing compact dictating how much Upper and Lower Basin states receive. — Reuters, NBC news, 31 July 2026 Two years of dictating that everyone commute into work on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays was hurting the morale as well as the productivity of many. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 Metzger stresses that standards define proper implementation processes for efficiency and ethics, rather than dictating specific technologies, ensuring stability and reliability in AI deployment. — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 Casting those doubts aside for this exercise, there are few players in European football with Stones’ ability as a tempo-dictating central defender. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 26 July 2026 The Office of the State Auditor maintained that its interest in a Midland site was based on expanding geographic access to early voting, not dictating the county’s final plan. — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026 Nineteen minutes after the first communication, another followed, dictating that the bill be vetoed, according to legislative chairwoman Nicole Watts. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 Echocardiograms and CT scans offer a picture of blood vessel health, with guidelines based on vessel width dictating when surveillance should begin. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 15 July 2026 That's still not dictating our tactics to just sprint upstairs. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictating
  1. controlling
  2. ordering
  3. commanding
  4. requesting
  5. imperial
  6. asking
  7. arrogant
  8. mandating
Adjective
  • This has impacted every aspect of his life — sleep, eating habits and his controlling attitude toward me.
    — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 4 July 2026
  • Versant will become a minority, non-controlling investor in the company.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 June 2026
Definition of controlling
Verb
  • The first, to determine whether Meta misled users about dangers on its platform, resulted in a March jury ordering Meta to pay $375 million in damages.
    — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Indecisive decorators can test the waters by ordering a larger wallpaper sample and living with it for a week.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of ordering
Adjective
  • In neighboring Wisconsin, Francesca Hong, who previously aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, has what appears to be a commanding lead in the gubernatorial primary.
    — Tamara Keith, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Eventually, Skubal morphed into the game’s best and most commanding pitcher.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of commanding
Verb
  • The petition argues that even a single satellite could have consequences far beyond the client requesting the light.
    — Jean Lee, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2026
  • At the same time, surveys of its e-commerce customers — who account for about 35 percent of the business — and feedback from its direct-to-consumer shoppers echoed that sentiment, with many requesting denim from Z Supply.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of requesting
Adjective
  • Dreamlike and cosy, almost everything in sight is a warm, golden yellow, from the curtain tassels to the imperial yellow Ottoman silk canopy above the enormous (and very comfortable) king-size bed.
    — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 29 July 2026
  • The Viennese set designer Oskar Strnad saw traditional theaters as agents of social stratification with the imperial box in the center, the bourgeoisie in the parquet, and the hoi polloi in the nosebleed balcony.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026
Definition of imperial
Verb
  • Two physicians, Howard Israel and William Seidelman, wrote to JAMA in 1996 asking a simple question about where the bodies came from.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • OutKick is already basically banned from most WNBA events at this point, so don't depend on us asking them to elaborate.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of asking
Adjective
  • Perhaps in the arrogant belief that a war with Iran would quickly end in a decisive victory, the Pentagon did not have cost-effective systems ready to intercept these weapons.
    — Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Nick Aldis’ wife Mickie James was ringside, where she was taunted by an arrogant Gunther.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Verb
  • Kearns family pushes for change In the wake of the teen's death, the Kearns family pushed for Mason's Law, mandating the marking, guarding and grading of drainpipes in the state.
    — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Vigo has spoken of the terrible toll that repeat overdoses take on addicts’ brains, and has advocated for a new policy of mandating treatment for some addicts.
    — Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of mandating

Browse Nearby Words

dictates
dictating
dictation
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Cite this Entry

“Dictating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictating. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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