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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right of both the president and his opponents to speak their minds and to give offense, even if that makes the process of governing harder.
—
Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
These narrow, often negative or humorous stereotypes have helped to set the visual schema for rural life, governing popular representations of individuals, families, and relationships in these communities.
—William Jones, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Iuga hopes her team’s work has implications for governing bodies and public health organizations that can influence happiness and health at the population level.
—Lindsey Leake, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Afrikaners, who are descendants of primarily Dutch colonial settlers who arrived in South Africa in the 1600s, governed the country from 1948 to 1994 and imposed racial separation laws known as apartheid.
—Annika Neklason, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for govern
Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
These narrow, often negative or humorous stereotypes have helped to set the visual schema for rural life, governing popular representations of individuals, families, and relationships in these communities.
—William Jones, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Iuga hopes her team’s work has implications for governing bodies and public health organizations that can influence happiness and health at the population level.
—Lindsey Leake, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Afrikaners, who are descendants of primarily Dutch colonial settlers who arrived in South Africa in the 1600s, governed the country from 1948 to 1994 and imposed racial separation laws known as apartheid.
—Annika Neklason, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for govern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for govern
Verb
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Lower courts have ruled against him, but some trade experts still see a chance that the high court will decide in his favor.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
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But the show of support which meant most to Slot arrived midway through the first half when anxiety ruled and the contest was still goalless.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Like several of her colleagues, Strickland submitted anonymous complaints to the Department of Agriculture, which regulates facilities and labs under the Animal Welfare Act.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Some dissenting judges on the court, though, said the 1977 law allows the president to regulate imports during emergencies without specific limitations.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In part, the McKinley administration standardized various press protocols and routines involved in managing the press corps—holding somewhat regular briefings, for example, and carefully timing White House announcements.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Nov. 2025
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Because of delays, Peter, having committed to spending a year in Israel, turned to me to manage all aspects of this sprawling project.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The buttons control the cooking modes, temperature setting (up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit), and cook time, which can also be conveniently adjusted using the dial.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
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More than 60% of 136 facilities connected to missile production or the Chinese military’s rocket force, which controls China’s nuclear arsenal, showed signs of expansion in satellite images.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After the players strolled onto the field through an opening in center field, rapper Ice Cube, a huge Dodger fan, drove a vintage blue Chevy convertible containing the World Series trophy.—
Steve Futterman,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
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One officer allegedly found garbage bags inside a large freezer that were later determined to contain the remains of a female, the station reported.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Robot can serve as an inspection agent With this new demonstration, a flexible mobile robot, powered by agentic AI that is running on AMD silicon, operates within a warehouse with mixed traffic.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
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In the waning days of the pandemic, appreciation and recognition came from Los Angeles city and county officials, who, according to posts on Farzam’s Instagram, commended Farzam for operating Covid testing centers and hailed him as a leader and role model.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The beauty of fall keeps me coming back even in the winter.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
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For more nostalgic decor finds from Pottery Barn, Target, and more, keep scrolling.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That division helps people file for public assistance programs such as SNAP and oversees all 80 state Human Services Department offices.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
5 Nov. 2025
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Maps are typically redrawn only once a decade after the census, and in California—as in several other Democratic strongholds—an independent commission oversees the process.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Govern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/govern. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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