DIRECTED Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

directed

verb

past tense of direct

as in channeled

to cause to move to a central point or along a restricted pathway the aqueduct directs the water into an artificial lake

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Relevance

as in instructed

to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority our tour guide directed us to wait in front of the building until she could rejoin us

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ordered

to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority the caretaker directed that all of the windows be closed before we left

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as in supervised

to look after and make decisions about the music teacher directs both the student orchestra and the marching band

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as in aimed

to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal we quickly directed our attention toward the noise coming from the rear

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as in steered

to point out the way for (someone) especially from a position in front the guide directed the tour through the museum with commendable efficiency and expertise

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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 directed Congress approve an additional $44 million to the BIS to combat illicit export of technology and additional set of full- and -part-time positions devoted to export enforcement, AI executive order implementation, and modernization—all directed toward this exact issue. —

Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 May 2026 Garth Davis is also an EP and directed Episodes 1 through 4, with fellow EP Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre directing Episodes 5 through 7. —

Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 May 2026 Mack said the post was not directed at former Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who released a statement the same day offering herself as an interim appointee. —

Mary Ramsey may 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2026 Even as home-plate umpire Adam Beck directed Story toward first base, Red Sox players leaped out of the dugout. —

Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for directed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for directed

Verb

Moderated by IndieWire’s Anne Thompson, the panel explored how Luna channelled his own experiences with grief into an adaptation of Brenda Navarro’s novel about family separation and emotional displacement.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
Business development companies, or BDCs, became the vehicle through which much of this capital was channeled and became widely available to retail investors.

— Steven Dudash, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026