Synonyms of governing

governing

verb

present participle of govern

1

as in ruling

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

• ruling
• controlling
• dictating
• dominating
• managing
• commanding
• presiding (over)
• administering
• overseeing
• domineering
• regulating
• swaying
• captaining
• leading
• bossing
• supervising
• conducting
• directing
• superintending
• heading
• mastering
• oppressing
• micromanaging
• conquering
• reigning (over)
• subjugating
• tyrannizing
• subduing
• lording (it over)

2

as in regulating

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

• regulating
• controlling
• containing
• curbing
• keeping
• restraining
• measuring
• ruling
• suppressing
• stifling
• inhibiting
• constraining
• holding
• taming
• checking
• stopping
• pulling in
• bridling
• swallowing
• reining (in)
• interrupting
• repressing
• hindering
• holding back
• strangling
• smothering
• impeding
• blocking
• hampering
• choking (back)
• obstructing
• arresting
• bottling (up)
• silencing
• sinking
• squelching
• mincing
• muffling
• pocketing
• handcuffing
• muzzling
• gagging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• losing
• loosening
• liberating
• expressing
• taking out
• venting
• airing
• unleashing
• loosing

3

as in managing

to look after and make decisions about

the company's finances are governed by its chief financial officer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• managing
• operating
• regulating
• overseeing
• supervising
• controlling
• handling
• conducting
• running
• administering
• keeping
• guiding
• directing
• protecting
• superintending
• tending
• administrating
• presiding (over)
• carrying on
• stewarding
• watching over
• overlooking
• steering
• leading
• watching
• safeguarding
• guarding
• piloting
• caring (for)
• minding
• micromanaging
• stage-managing
• codirecting
• comanaging

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of governing

Questions over how reform should go Schwesig and others in the governing parties have cast doubt on aspects of the federal government’s reform agenda, which is meant to bolster a chronically sluggish economy. — Geir Moulson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Schwesig and others in the governing parties have cast doubt on aspects of the federal government's reform agenda, which is meant to bolster a chronically sluggish economy. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026

Nature, loss, and longing inspire these quiet verses, which conjure a sense of the immense mysteries governing the observable world. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

California has specific laws governing where you’re allowed to keep your purchases. — Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026

But in this year’s General Assembly session, Georgia lawmakers stopped short of creating a broad framework governing AI use in political campaigns over concerns about free speech restrictions. — Reed Williams, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Bukele, first elected in 2019, took an almost opposite approach from Arévalo’s to governing. — Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026

Instead, its validity depends on the mathematical rules governing information updates. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026

China’s technology sector also operates within a far more top-down regulatory environment, with the government setting extensive rules governing what AI systems can produce and how they are deployed. — John Liu, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026