1
as in to rule
to exercise authority or power over
the president is elected in order to govern the country, not to follow public opinion polls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to regulate
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
you need to govern your speech and be able to communicate your outrage without resorting to profanity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to manage
to look after and make decisions about
the company's finances are governed by its chief financial officer
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of govern
Aside from state law governing pretrial release, the law also requires counties to create release policies.
—
Charlotte Observer, 12 Sep. 2025
From before the Revolution onward, physical punishment or even killing were ways to enforce belonging, to mark the boundary between insiders and outsiders, and to decide who had the right to govern.
—Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
These platforms are governed by algorithms that tend to prioritize engagement above all else, amplifying the loudest, most shameless users because these voices will draw in other voices.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
No one is equal under the law if two of us are governed differently.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for govern
Charlotte Observer, 12 Sep. 2025
From before the Revolution onward, physical punishment or even killing were ways to enforce belonging, to mark the boundary between insiders and outsiders, and to decide who had the right to govern.
—Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
These platforms are governed by algorithms that tend to prioritize engagement above all else, amplifying the loudest, most shameless users because these voices will draw in other voices.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
No one is equal under the law if two of us are governed differently.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for govern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for govern
Verb
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These days, as the daughters of Debbie rule the airwaves, that’s what pop music is all about.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
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That’s because the First Amendment plays a unique role when the government is the employer, Collis explains — and the Supreme Court has ruled that if an employee is acting in a private capacity but speaking on a matter of public concern, they’re protected.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Your liver also plays the very sweet role of regulating your blood sugar levels by releasing glucose and storing glycogen when appropriate.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Among its 14 plant oils are argan kernel and rice bran, which regulate sebum production and loosen dead skin cells, respectively—and, together, leave your pores looking significantly smaller and your skin significantly smoother.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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What began as a handful of campus groups now stretches across more than 3,500 high schools and universities, supported by dozens of full-time staff who manage student activists like a professional sales force.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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At the same time, the industry is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to manage tariff risks, optimize logistics costs, and ensure pricing compliance across complex regulatory environments.—
Nish Acharya,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Democrats are doing fairly well in the generic congressional ballot, which tests which party voters prefer to control Congress.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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The team has now built the first transistor-like switch that controls exciton flow.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This report contains results from surveys and population estimation methods conducted by Fish and Wildlife, Canadian Wildlife Service and numerous state and provincial partners.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
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And while hair perfumes are typically less concentrated and contain less alcohol (to prevent dryness), our testers appreciated that the scent lingers all day long.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the United States is one of the few countries in the world that operates without an official language.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Following the indictment, the FBI on Wednesday conducted a raid near Augusta, Georgia, arresting leaders after years of allegations that the church operated like a cult and preyed on military communities nationwide.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Eyes Shop your favorite category or keep scrolling for the year's very best mascaras, brow gels, and eye-shadow palettes.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Adding flip-flops kept it less serious.—
Libby Page,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Charter schools are overseen by independent boards, overwhelmingly, like nonprofit boards of directors that manage the oversight and then follow all or most of the same government rules related to public schools.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images OpenAI has hired Mike Liberatore, former finance chief at Elon Musk's xAI, to be the artificial intelligence startup's business finance officer, responsible for overseeing its massive infrastructure spending.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Govern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/govern. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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