1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in supervised
to look after and make decisions about
the music teacher directs both the student orchestra and the marching band
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
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
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 directed
The project — directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans — chronicles the adventures of Huntrix, a K-pop girl group made up of three members who also just happen to fight monsters from the underworld.
—
Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Menache also directed the special.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 6 May 2026
The production was written and directed by Fort Lauderdale poet and playwright Darius Daughtry, founder of the Art Prevails Project.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
The installment, led by Campbell, 52, was directed by franchise writer Kevin Williamson.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for directed
Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Menache also directed the special.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 6 May 2026
The production was written and directed by Fort Lauderdale poet and playwright Darius Daughtry, founder of the Art Prevails Project.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
The installment, led by Campbell, 52, was directed by franchise writer Kevin Williamson.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 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
Verb
-
After his victory in the then-match-play tournament at Olympia Fields, Hagen handed the Wanamaker Trophy to a cab driver and instructed him to take it to his hotel.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
-
Beijing has condemned those measures and instructed its companies to ignore them.—
Amena Bakr,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The man continued moving around inside the fountain even as police ordered him to get out, according to the outlet.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
The court also ordered them to pay Djena nearly three hundred thousand dollars in restitution.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The lawsuit claims that Santana was the lead detective assigned to the case, while Smith was the sergeant who supervised the investigative team.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
Del Toro personally supervised every stage of the new restoration from the original 35mm negative.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Cclime is known for non-invasive contouring popular with Korean celebrities, aimed at reducing puffiness and sculpting the face.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
-
Theodore Skondras, 23, a master’s student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, applied to accelerator Y Combinator with a coding project aimed at making payments between AI agents more trustworthy.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
These gaps — as well as the significant positives of antidepressants and the risks of untreated depression — steered the authors’ research.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
Advocaat had steered Curacao – an island in the Caribbean Sea that is home to around 155,000 people – to the first World Cup in their history in November.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Throughout 2008 a pilot project was conducted in a Namibian village about 65 miles east of Windhoek.—
Carrie Brandon Elliot,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Research conducted by one of New Jersey's largest credit unions found a trip down the Jersey Shore is going to cost 11% more this year on average.—
Christine Sloan,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
One of the guns had hate speech written on it, the sources told The Times, and anti-Islamic writings were found in a vehicle.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
-
Miller, who has lived in the area for just a month, told NBC San Diego that his favorite thing about his neighborhood is how friendly and welcoming everyone has been.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Directed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directed. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
