manage

Synonym Chooser

How is the word manage distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of manage are conduct, control, and direct. While all these words mean "to use one's powers to lead, guide, or dominate," manage implies direct handling and manipulating or maneuvering toward a desired result.

manages a meat market

Where would conduct be a reasonable alternative to manage?

The words conduct and manage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, conduct implies taking responsibility for the acts and achievements of a group.

conducted negotiations

When is control a more appropriate choice than manage?

In some situations, the words control and manage are roughly equivalent. However, control implies a regulating or restraining in order to keep within bounds or on a course.

controlling his appetite

When can direct be used instead of manage?

The meanings of direct and manage largely overlap; however, direct implies constant guiding and regulating so as to achieve smooth operation.

directs the store's day-to-day business

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 manage In addition to managing the university’s rapid growth, Pullin will need to attract donors to help foot the bill. Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2025 Indiana’s stars struggled mightily in Game 5, with Tyrese Haliburton, the series MVP up until this point, managing just eight points on 2-of-7 shooting. Eric Koreen, New York Times, 30 May 2025 Your role in the economy could move from direct labor, to managing AI systems like the CEO of a company manages their direct reports, to steering the direction of AI systems working for you like a company board weighing in on long-term direction. Luke Drago, Time, 30 May 2025 The city must manage costs — as difficult as that is to do politically — rather than searching for new ways to increase taxes. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for manage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manage
Verb
  • Steve Klein, who has been executive director of the Cedar Cove Feline Conservatory & Education Center in Louisburg, Kansas for over a decade, has encountered numerous cases where owners were unprepared or ill-equipped to handle exotic animals.
    J.M. Banks, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
  • With his former defense attorneys now working for the government, Trump earlier this year tapped the elite Manhattan law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell to handle his criminal appeal.
    Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • Gray supervised a special housing unit at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, prosecutors said.
    Sara Schilling, Sacbee.com, 28 May 2025
  • There’s similar apprehension about the new Judicial Disciplinary Tribunal that’s meant to supervise judges in office.
    Michael Rios, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • Going on plenty of walks and sticking to the dog's normal routine can all assist in helping your dog cope with a loss.
    Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
  • Young men might be more likely to suppress emotional expression, engage in risk-taking behavior, or use substances to cope with grief.
    Charell G. Coleman, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • Not possessed of any special abilities, Achebe instead manipulates his ways into political power in Wakanda.
    Michileen Martin, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
  • Deepfakes are manipulated images, audio recordings, or videos of real people that have been altered with artificial intelligence to misrepresent someone as saying or doing something that the person did not actually say or do.
    Alain Sherter, CBS News, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Beyond investing, Clements oversees Accel’s Ignite program, bringing together CROs and revenue leaders from across the tech ecosystem.
    TrueBridge Capital, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • Since the election, the Trump administration has overseen a deportation plan with far greater reach to include student visa holders and immigrants in the U.S. on Temporary Protected Status.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • One of his owners, Craig Leipold, did, back in January.
    Pierre LeBrun, New York Times, 5 June 2025
  • Enter Ketamine To confirm the finding, the team did the experiment again.
    Jon Hamilton, NPR, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • DSPs address this by unifying discovery, classification, tokenization and policy enforcement into a singular platform.
    Ed Leavens, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • The unit offers mostly young, nonviolent offenders an opportunity to avoid prosecution by completing a program to address the issues that initially led to their arrest.
    Bram Sable-Smith, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • The nonprofit operates the Bullet Related Injury Clinic, dubbed the BRIC, which provides free treatment for physical and mental injuries caused by bullets.
    Bram Sable-Smith, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
  • Specific programs targeted for elimination include the Mars Sample Return mission, the currently operating Mars Odyssey and MAVEN missions around Mars, and several missions to Venus.
    Wendy Whitman Cobb, The Conversation, 3 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Manage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manage. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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