as in overseeing
Related Words
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Dissimilar Words
as in commanding
Related Words
1
as in channeling
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
2
as in instructing
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 ordering
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 supervising
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 aiming
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 guiding
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.
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Recent Examples of directing
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Dogwoof and Strange Bird are joining forces with Kennedy/Marshall, Whisper, and Haviland Digital on the feature, with Barney Douglas (McEnroe) directing.
—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 June 2026
Further announcements regarding casting, directing, financing and international distribution will be made in due course.
—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
28 June 2026
Pierre Coffin, making his first solo directing effort after co-helming all three Despicable Me films and the first Minions, has constructed a film that doubles as a love letter to cinematic history.
—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
26 June 2026
Although The Beast in Me doesn’t entirely hold up as a series, the opening episode of this cat-and-mouse thriller offers some bravura directing and stellar performances.
—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
25 June 2026
The show took home two statuettes in 2025 for outstanding talk series and outstanding directing for a variety series.
—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
This includes writing, directing, and guest-acting awards.
—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
20 June 2026
Assistant directing is its own special discipline, a mix of strategy, tactics, safety, and creativity.
—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
19 June 2026
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 July 2026
On Friday, Putin visited the Russian military headquarters directing the action in Ukraine to receive a report on the capture of the city of Kostyantynivka after weeks of intense street battles.
—
ABC News,
3 July 2026
Driving into the estate down a dirt track, you’re met with concrete walls that frame the space with gallery-like precision, directing your eyes toward geological features rather than distracting from them.
—
Lara Johnson-Wheeler,
Vogue,
3 July 2026
The surfaces are clean and sharp, directing airflow around and through the car.
—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
After reading the novel, Jenkins enlisted Crain — an associate producer on Wonder Woman 1984 and head of film at Wicious — to make his feature directing debut on the project.
—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
2 July 2026
On Wednesday, Mayor Mary Sheffield issued an executive order directing all departments and city employees to focus on protecting the public.
—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
2 July 2026
In one significant policy shift, Lewis George campaigned on repealing former Metropolitan Police Department chief Pamela Smith’s executive order directing her officers to cooperate with federal immigration authorities for individuals not in police custody.
—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2026
There – with three weeks left for Landor to serve – the warden ignored the judicial order, directing guards to shackle Landor and forcibly shave his head.
—
Charles J. Russo,
The Conversation,
26 June 2026
Noun
Perhaps the directing was the biggest problem with that film, but the writing certainly didn’t save it, nor help elevate Milly Alcock’s performance.
—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Dogwoof and Strange Bird are joining forces with Kennedy/Marshall, Whisper, and Haviland Digital on the feature, with Barney Douglas (McEnroe) directing.
—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 June 2026
Further announcements regarding casting, directing, financing and international distribution will be made in due course.
—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
28 June 2026
Pierre Coffin, making his first solo directing effort after co-helming all three Despicable Me films and the first Minions, has constructed a film that doubles as a love letter to cinematic history.
—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
26 June 2026
Although The Beast in Me doesn’t entirely hold up as a series, the opening episode of this cat-and-mouse thriller offers some bravura directing and stellar performances.
—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
25 June 2026
The show took home two statuettes in 2025 for outstanding talk series and outstanding directing for a variety series.
—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
This includes writing, directing, and guest-acting awards.
—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
20 June 2026
Assistant directing is its own special discipline, a mix of strategy, tactics, safety, and creativity.
—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
19 June 2026
Verb
She is joined by Indonesian director Yosep Anggi Noen as directing mentor and cinematographer Park Junghun as cinematography mentor.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 July 2026
On Friday, Putin visited the Russian military headquarters directing the action in Ukraine to receive a report on the capture of the city of Kostyantynivka after weeks of intense street battles.
—
ABC News,
3 July 2026
Driving into the estate down a dirt track, you’re met with concrete walls that frame the space with gallery-like precision, directing your eyes toward geological features rather than distracting from them.
—
Lara Johnson-Wheeler,
Vogue,
3 July 2026
The surfaces are clean and sharp, directing airflow around and through the car.
—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
After reading the novel, Jenkins enlisted Crain — an associate producer on Wonder Woman 1984 and head of film at Wicious — to make his feature directing debut on the project.
—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
2 July 2026
On Wednesday, Mayor Mary Sheffield issued an executive order directing all departments and city employees to focus on protecting the public.
—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
2 July 2026
In one significant policy shift, Lewis George campaigned on repealing former Metropolitan Police Department chief Pamela Smith’s executive order directing her officers to cooperate with federal immigration authorities for individuals not in police custody.
—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2026
There – with three weeks left for Landor to serve – the warden ignored the judicial order, directing guards to shackle Landor and forcibly shave his head.
—
Charles J. Russo,
The Conversation,
26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for directing
Adjective
-
Versant will become a minority, non-controlling investor in the company.
-
ByteDance keeps a non-controlling stake to comply with federal law.
Noun
-
The studs, ankle strap and gladiator shape are Mars-y and commanding, just like this Fire sign.
-
The market has long recognized the significance of Gormley’s work, with the sculptures in the exhibition commanding prices ranging from £250,000 to £975,000.
Verb
-
Vanessa also wears the hats of playwright, motivational speaker, and retreat host, channeling her storytelling gift across multiple creative platforms.
-
Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie looked like Serie A regulars, Folarin Balogun’s finishing was on song and Gio Reyna put to rest any doubts about his selection by channelling his inner Luka Modric.
Verb
-
Scam warning signs A caller instructing a person not to tell their friends or family about a problem is a big warning sign that the caller has malicious intent, scam experts say.
-
These makers are much more reticent about the risks of blurring the once fine line between browsing sites and asking a large language model a question or instructing it to take potentially sensitive actions.
Verb
-
Get $25 off catering orders of $250 or more from July 3–5 with code CATER250 when ordering in-app or online.
-
The suspect, identified only as Innocent S under German privacy rules, is accused of ordering the deaths of 25 Tutsis on five separate occasions while serving as an assistant to the mayor of Kayove in northwestern Rwanda.
Verb
-
Nadella is also supervising major changes in units such as Xbox and has become more hands-on with product development.
-
Army investigations have repeatedly pointed to the same factors contributing to fatal training incidents including sleep deprivation, inadequate training and inexperienced leaders supervising high-risk exercises.
Verb
-
Topping has unveiled the DX1 II, an affordable DAC and headphone amplifier aiming to bring warm, detailed hi-fi sound to digital music for under $150.
-
The president signed his directive aiming to restrict birthright citizenship on his first day back in the White House as part of a sweeping crackdown on immigration.
Verb
-
Gemini asked guiding questions in 76% of its messages and gave a straight answer 2% of the time.
-
That balance between comedy and horror became the guiding principle for the production.
Cite this Entry
“Directing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directing. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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