DIRECTS Synonyms: 131 Similar and Opposite Words

directs

verb

present tense third-person singular of direct

as in conducts

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

as in instructs

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 orders

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in supervises

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in aims

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in steers

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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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 directs Domestic Shield directs counter-drone resources to locations facing the greatest operational risk. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 July 2026 As her daughter sweeps away the last piles of sand, 54-year-old Nuru Mohammed directs women hanging fishing nets to serve as décor. — ABC News, 6 July 2026 They’re also not supposed to launch them near buildings or vehicles, or in any way that directs fireworks toward people or property. — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Helping matters there were two writers — Aric Avelino (who also directs three episodes this season) and Birse — that were tasked with tracking characters’ memories. — Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 2 July 2026 Judge John Weeks denied May’s request to sanction Daniel and to hold King’s bond insufficient for violating a condition that directs him not to contact witnesses. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026 Minnesota’s warning label law directs the Minnesota Department of Health to provide direction on the health warning. — Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 1 July 2026 Robyn Linscott, who directs education and family policy at The Arc of the United States, a major disability rights group, recalled attending a three-hour listening session the Education Department hosted in January. — Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026 Pets Requires pet dealers to disclose veterinarian records and directs the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to set up a public website listing people convicted of animal cruelty by the end of the year (SB 1004). — Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for directs

Verb

Founded in 1999, ProCamps conducts more than 175 events each year with top professional and collegiate athletes, which will now be integrated under the FlexWork Sports brand.

— Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 3 July 2026
Best for wildlife control Why trust USA TODAY The USA TODAY review team conducts all research in-house and vets every company on our rankings list.

— Alora Bopray, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Definition of conducts

Verb

That runs counter to the state’s guidance, which instructs regional planning agencies to assess service by the total numbers of trains.

— Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026
When a developer, for instance, instructs a coding agent to clone a popular new repository, the LLM hallucinates its correct location up to 85 percent of the time.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026

Definition of instructs

Verb

Families of the missing crew members wait for news as Pakistan’s prime minister orders full search efforts.

— Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
If Graf orders Robinson to proceed to trial, prosecutors must then prove beyond a reasonable doubt at a trial that the defendant is guilty of killing the 31-year-old Kirk.

— Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 6 July 2026

Definition of orders

Verb

Milshtein previously served as adviser to COGAT, which supervises civilian policy in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.

— Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
As chief of patrol, Hein supervises the most visible aspects of the Police Department that define its image in the minds of most Chicagoans, including emergency response, crisis intervention, traffic control, routine patrol and community policing efforts.

— Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026

Definition of supervises

Verb

In an era where youth sports can cost parents thousands of dollars, a new no-cost league in the historic Northeast neighborhoods launched by the Kansas City Current aims to break down the financial barrier.

— PJ Green July 11, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026
The law primarily aims to tackle America’s housing affordability problem by increasing supply.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

Definition of aims

Verb

Schumer, who steers millions in outside spending through a constellation of PACs, threatened to freeze all investments in Maine unless Platner ends his campaign, but has otherwise stayed silent on the jockeying.

— David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 7 July 2026
That warming changes where thunderstorms develop near the equator, which can shift the jet stream — the fast-moving river of air that steers storms across North America.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 7 July 2026

Definition of steers

Verb

Most formulas use a twist or tap brush applicator that channels powder into the bristles for mess-free touch-ups over makeup throughout the day.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 1, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
This floor lamp is the kind of piece that channels main character energy.

— Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 1 July 2026

Definition of channels

Verb

Knowing that a visitor asked three questions about security, spent time on your enterprise plan and then left without booking a demo tells you everything about what to do next.

— Suyash Karn, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
The film, directed by award-winning filmmaker Bao Nguyen, in part tells the story of how CEO Matt Mullenweg founded what became Automattic, a company rooted in the philosophy of open-source software.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 8 July 2026