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 Clint Hurdle, the interim bench coach who managed the Rockies to their only World Series appearance in 2007, is a reminder of better times. Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025 Antihistamines can ease itching, while ibuprofen or acetaminophen help manage pain. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025 More from Your Money: Here's a look at more stories on how to manage, grow and protect your money for the years ahead. Stephanie Dhue, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2025 Uber's operational model prioritizes rapid market entry with standardized processes that can be quickly deployed across new cities, often learning and adapting on the fly while managing the complexity of hundreds of simultaneous markets. Tima Bansal, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for manage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manage
Verb
  • My wife was impressed by how Tennesseans handled the temperatures seemingly without issue.
    Tobis Heimbach, The Tennessean, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Brian Cotter when sworn in years ago: New Pueblo County coroner brings change What agency is handling the Pueblo coroner case?
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The judge said Habba can't participate in or supervise these defendants' prosecutions, and that her past actions in their cases – such as signing an indictment – were void.
    Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
  • The Matrix Reloaded, where his son R.A. Rondell served as supervising stunt coordinator.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • She’s seen this cycle again and again: young girls adapting, coping, hiding and then hitting a wall in adulthood, often when their own children begin to struggle.
    Ginger Gentile, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
  • For nearly two hours Isabella collected my thoughts on everything from vaccines to emotional coping strategies to policing in the U.S.
    Webb Wright, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • This included reporting that the company manipulated vote counts, is owned by a company founded in Venezuela to rig elections for Hugo Chavez, is paid kickbacks to government officials who used its machines in swing states and was involved in voting irregularities in Texas in 2018.
    Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Gerrymandering is when politicians manipulate district lines, dividing or grouping populations, to get an advantage.
    Larry Kaplow, NPR, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Herrera oversaw the launch of NCL’s last two ships, Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Aqua, as well as recent announcements for the expansion coming to the line’s private Bahamas island Great Stirrup Cay.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Last year, the program oversaw the removal of 47 burning bushes, 102 invasive pears, 138 Amur honeysuckles, 12,300 square feet of Wintercreeper and several other species.
    Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Russia has a 50-year goal, to re-unite parts of the old Soviet Union; Ukraine has a more immediate goal, to stop the war and not give up any territory to do so.
    Richard Stengel, Time, 16 Aug. 2025
  • In 2024-2025 the lodge stayed open for the winter, doing events like winemaker dinners.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The essay popularized the concept of the male gaze, classical Hollywood cinema’s propensity to address, embody, and shape film spectators as heterosexual and male.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2025
  • This project not only helped individuals build financial stability but also strengthened our local economy by addressing skill gaps.
    Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Personal watercraft cannot be operated from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise, even with navigation lights.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The Japanese tech company has operated in Russia since 2006, but after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine began scaling back operations, halting console shipments and closing online and brick-and-mortar stores.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 14 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Manage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manage. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.

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