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
Voters should choose me in this primary because my experience in commercial, contract, and corporate law prepares me to govern effectively.
—
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
But if hosting were genuinely secure, criticism of a national governing body would not threaten it.
—Michael Fealey, Sportico.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Levine’s letter repeatedly references such treatments and questions whether medical schools offering them are complying with accreditation standards governing ethics and scientific evidence.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
There is an understandable, foreseeable progression to the behavior that can be predicted from the rules that govern the underlying neural circuits.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for govern
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
But if hosting were genuinely secure, criticism of a national governing body would not threaten it.
—Michael Fealey, Sportico.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Levine’s letter repeatedly references such treatments and questions whether medical schools offering them are complying with accreditation standards governing ethics and scientific evidence.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
There is an understandable, foreseeable progression to the behavior that can be predicted from the rules that govern the underlying neural circuits.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for govern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for govern
Verb
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But last week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision ruled in the government’s favor.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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The arbitrator was moved by his story but ruled against him anyway, denying him his last chance for a win of any kind at this year’s Olympics.—
Tim Reynolds,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Four years later, the Coastal Act became state law, regulating development in collaboration with local government agencies, guaranteeing public access and protecting marine and coastal habitats.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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Seamless construction meant no chafing, the wide waistband sat comfortably against the belly, and the 100% wool material offered temperature-regulating bliss.—
Anna Callaghan,
Outside,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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So now, a team that has defeated conference leaders such as Oklahoma City, Denver, Detroit and New York, also has managed to fall to the lottery likes of Utah, Indiana and Sacramento, with the 15-40 Pelicans up next.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
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Interestingly, and likely due to the fact that all six episodes were released at once, Steal even managed to make Luminate’s Top 50 list just based on its first two days of viewing.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And on the other side, artists can really control what the narratives are about them.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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The story about a woman, who is considered a cursed bride, and her husband, who pretends to be possessed in an attempt to control her, is the first all-Pakistani feature at the Berlin International Film Festival, which has in the past featured Pakistani co-productions.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wright, who formerly worked as a detective, said the video contains apparent facial features such as a mustache and that investigators should be able to calculate height, shoe size and brands of clothing.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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Her life’s work was stolen early Monday when thieves swiped a shipping box containing many of her puppets from outside her Beachwood Canyon apartment.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Milwaukee grocery stores will also operate regular business hours on Presidents Day.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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The next stage of reward prediction depends on the fact that the reward system does not operate in isolation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This McGill and Chinese University of Hong Kong grad also has bylines in Architectural Digest, Men's Journal, Town & Country, and Observer—occasionally trading his keyboard for time in front of cameras for brand campaigns or keeping conversations flowing as a panel moderator.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
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Gabe Gordon and Timothy Gibbons leaned into the Olympics mood while keeping it hot and fun with a collection influenced by ’80s figure skaters, school girls and a whole lot of vintage Americana.—
Irene Kim,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That duty usually resides with a state board overseeing the program, Olson said.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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Samuli Torssonen of Energia VFX will oversee visual effects, and Slovenian art-rock band Laibach are in discussions to compose the score.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Govern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/govern. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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