as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
the younger children in the family were controlled by a domineering older sister
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Recent Examples of domineering
Jordan Moreau, Variety, 15 Jan. 2026
That premonition rings true when his parents (Tara Buckman, Geoff Hansen) are slaughtered by a carjacker dressed as Old Saint Nick himself (Charles Dierkop) just hours later, condemning the toddler into further moral compass trauma at an orphanage run by a domineering Mother Superior nun from Hell.
—Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Orgon’s only ally is his domineering parade float of a mother, Madame Pernelle (the Bianca del Rio), who sails onto the stage in high dudgeon at the top of the play.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
This go around, Blanc (Daniel Craig) descends on an upstate New York town to solve the murder of a domineering and hate-spewing monsignor (Brolin).
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for domineering
Adjective
Set in medieval England, Anne and her domineering mother-in-law Morwen struggle to survive on the outskirts of society.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 15 Jan. 2026
That premonition rings true when his parents (Tara Buckman, Geoff Hansen) are slaughtered by a carjacker dressed as Old Saint Nick himself (Charles Dierkop) just hours later, condemning the toddler into further moral compass trauma at an orphanage run by a domineering Mother Superior nun from Hell.
—Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Orgon’s only ally is his domineering parade float of a mother, Madame Pernelle (the Bianca del Rio), who sails onto the stage in high dudgeon at the top of the play.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
This go around, Blanc (Daniel Craig) descends on an upstate New York town to solve the murder of a domineering and hate-spewing monsignor (Brolin).
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for domineering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for domineering
Adjective
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Even the Committee to Protect Journalists, an organization that monitors and honors reporters imprisoned by authoritarian government regimes overseas, felt compelled to weigh in on Lemon’s arrest.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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These changes have been caricatured as authoritarian and corrupt.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What remains here is very pitching-heavy after the potential superstar at the top of the list, with their 2025 draft class and very recent international free agents dominating the remainder.—
Keith Law,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The Cardinals' bench provided the biggest boost, dominating the Mustangs 47-5 while holding them to 37% shooting in the second half.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In the early years of his fame as a writer, Rushdie had something of a reputation for being prickly and arrogant, but Gibney’s portrait reveals a man mellowed by time and experience.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Spock is this brilliant, arrogant, aloof-to-the-point-of-obnoxiousness genius.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fland also added 15 points and eight assists, playing a terrific floor game and dictating the action from the opening tip.—
Jim Root,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Never mind the long history of regulation dictating what goes on inside factories—emergency exits in clothing factories, cleanliness standards in meatpacking facilities, and so on.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Politicians are now realizing the backlash of ICE’s overbearing tactics.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Feb. 2026
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Aristidou utilizes Danae, whose controlling dad suffocates her with his seemingly overbearing rigidness, as a counterpoint to the other extreme of fatherhood.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In Russia, Cuba, Iran, Belarus, and Uganda, dictatorships have carried on for decades—oppressing and killing their people, attacking their neighbors, and destabilizing their regions.—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
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Now, the Franciscan missionaries oppressing the Native Americans in the painting had arrows piercing their heads and bodies.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With the sun, Venus and Mercury moving through your bossy 10th house of career and authority this season, your work life becomes more visible and demanding.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
21 Dec. 2025
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Imagine the bossy, vegetal crunch of a nearly raw bell pepper.—
Adam Erace,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Some of the city's narrow streets fell victim to the aggressive snow totals, leaving residents with little wiggle room to get around it.—
Andrew Ramos,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The agency’s aggressive tactics this past year – especially when agents make their presence known in public areas in or near an employer, such as a parking lot – have had a chilling effect on businesses in areas where ICE has been operating.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Domineering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domineering. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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