as in to control
chiefly US
to try to oversee all the small parts of (something, such as an activity) in a way that is usually not wanted or that causes problems
He micromanaged every detail of the budget.
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Recent Examples of micromanage
Angie Katsanevas, who loves brand names, beauty and micromanaging her family, swaps lives with off-the-grid homesteader and former Mormon Lindsay Flake, whose family lives without electricity, running water and rules.
—
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 16 Sep. 2025
Workers who are micromanaged report nearly double the stress compared with non-micromanaged workers, according to the 2023 Work in America Survey.
—Julia Sullivan, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
Their words painted a portrait of someone who micromanaged, monopolized the spotlight and rarely recognized individual contributions.
—Bill Koch, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Kids desperately want to be able to explore and play without adults micromanaging them, Skenazy says.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for micromanage
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 16 Sep. 2025
Workers who are micromanaged report nearly double the stress compared with non-micromanaged workers, according to the 2023 Work in America Survey.
—Julia Sullivan, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
Their words painted a portrait of someone who micromanaged, monopolized the spotlight and rarely recognized individual contributions.
—Bill Koch, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Kids desperately want to be able to explore and play without adults micromanaging them, Skenazy says.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for micromanage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for micromanage
Verb
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The buttons control the cooking modes, temperature setting (up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit), and cook time, which can also be conveniently adjusted using the dial.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
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More than 60% of 136 facilities connected to missile production or the Chinese military’s rocket force, which controls China’s nuclear arsenal, showed signs of expansion in satellite images.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Equipped to handle every kind of wintry mix the forecast may bring, this is a durable option that will remain intact all season long.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
5 Nov. 2025
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In an April 2, 2021, amicus brief, Raffensperger, represented by the state attorney general, argued ballots must remain sealed under Georgia’s Elections Code and warned that allowing the public to handle physical ballots could constitute a felony under state law.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As people increasingly turn to such bots for emotional support and life advice, recent incidents have spotlighted their potential to manipulate vulnerable people by facilitating a false sense of closeness or care.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
31 Oct. 2025
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The face-down between a pitcher and a batter, especially in a World Series, has enough tension without needing to be manipulated by outside music.—
Alison Weinflash,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One of the most touching moments of the rally occurred when Miguel Rojas, an unexpected hero of the series, addressed the crowd.—
Steve Futterman,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
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In recent times, efforts to address this challenge have seen professionals working in extreme environments pursue a more proactive approach to security, guided by advancements in AI, deep learning, and IoT technologies.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This has given the conflict a religious coloration, and political elites have also chosen to politicize the conflict to negotiate power and other interests, which has complicated the problem.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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One head of a negotiating delegation told CNN they were being charged more than $20,000 for two weeks in a three-bedroom apartment.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Working within restricted space, Lanthimos felt the need to go big with the filmmaking, both with supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer Johnnie Burn’s sound design and composer Jerskin Fendrix’s music, which is by far the biggest score in the score-adverse director’s career.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
31 Oct. 2025
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Tesla's Mad Max Mode is a driving profile that Tesla owners can access using the company's most recent Full Self-Driving (FSD) supervised software.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Like several of her colleagues, Strickland submitted anonymous complaints to the Department of Agriculture, which regulates facilities and labs under the Animal Welfare Act.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Some dissenting judges on the court, though, said the 1977 law allows the president to regulate imports during emergencies without specific limitations.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Back in 2006, the restoration work of Taihedian (Hall of Supreme Harmony), the largest building in the palace, took less than two years.—
Fred He,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Standing in the way of technology development is not a good look for the Democratic Party, but demanding that tech companies foot the bill for the need to modernize, upgrade and massively expand utility electricity generation would be a good position to take.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Micromanage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanage. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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