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

The governing Labour Party and opposition Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens all declined to run in Clacton. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

Calls for independent review Monday’s open letter is just the latest shot fired at the beleaguered governing body. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

The Geneva Conventions, a set of treaties governing the conduct of warring parties, which were ratified in the aftermath of the Second World War, forbid the arbitrary detention of civilians. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

A lot of the governing dynamics and motifs here are to put the audience in Kris’s point of view and welcome them through this portal into Billy’s world. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026

Managers now need practical rules governing how work is assigned to AI. — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

The lawsuit calls for Sigcho-López to be included on the ballot and for state law governing independent runs for office to be declared unconstitutional. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026

The climbdown by Infantino follows a threat by European countries, represented by the continent’s soccer governing body UEFA, to boycott all FIFA events, including the World Cup, if the plan moved forward. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026

While both candidates occupy the left side of the national political spectrum, their records illustrate two distinct governing philosophies that have frequently clashed in San Francisco Democratic politics. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026