GOVERNING Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

governing

verb

present participle of govern

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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in managing

to look after and make decisions about the company's finances are governed by its chief financial officer

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of governing At the same time, only one in five companies has a mature model for governing autonomous AI agents, even as agentic AI usage is poised to rise sharply, per the same report. —

Shiv Kaushik, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 Reliance on external infrastructure therefore risks leaving African countries dependent not only on foreign technology providers, but on foreign legal frameworks governing sensitive health information. —

Francisca Mutapi, semafor.com, 18 May 2026 Emulating the Suez Canal Iranian news outlets have framed the proposal to charge for subsea cables passing through its waters as compliant with international law, citing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which includes provisions governing submarine cables. —

Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 17 May 2026 The statement called for an investigation into the incident and a review of protocols governing pregnant people in custody. —

Cristian Santana, NBC news, 17 May 2026 Inglewood, California — FIFA is facing backlash for sky-high prices and fees for the upcoming World Cup, causing consternation among fans and providing fuel to critics who accuse soccer's world governing body of greed. —

Amanda Arden, CBS News, 17 May 2026 Critics say the decision will dilute the voting and governing power of Black and other minority citizens up and down the ballot, especially in the South. —

Sarah Clifton, USA Today, 16 May 2026 Utah is one of at least 47 states now considering more than 250 bills governing clinical AI, producing a patchwork of rules on bias audits, payment policy, and patient consent. —

Alon Bergman, STAT, 11 May 2026 If talks ultimately resume between Washington and Beijing on AI, experts believe the negotiations would be far more complex than those that resulted in arms control agreements governing nuclear weapons in the Cold War. —

Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for governing

Verb

The spiny, long-legged, and often reviled cockroach has become an unlikely symbol of dissent among India’s Gen Z, in a sharp rebuke to the ruling establishment in the world’s largest democracy.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 May 2026
Shoutout to Focus Features’ Obsession, which has been ruling the box office in its weekdays, beating Michael on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 22 May 2026