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
Both distrust markets, both want to micromanage industry, both are protectionist, both romanticize manufacturing work and resent the disruptions that come from open global competition.
—
Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 4 Dec. 2025
What once was an obstacle to allowing others to help, has come under new management, finally allowing the rest of the family to jump in on the action without fear of being micromanaged.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2025
Through automating repetitive tasks, flagging risks, and prioritizing leads, monday CRM helps companies spend less time micromanaging complex systems and more time closing on important, meaningful deals.
—Ethan Stone, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Kinahan is known to micromanage his appearances on social media.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for micromanage
Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 4 Dec. 2025
What once was an obstacle to allowing others to help, has come under new management, finally allowing the rest of the family to jump in on the action without fear of being micromanaged.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2025
Through automating repetitive tasks, flagging risks, and prioritizing leads, monday CRM helps companies spend less time micromanaging complex systems and more time closing on important, meaningful deals.
—Ethan Stone, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Kinahan is known to micromanage his appearances on social media.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for micromanage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for micromanage
Verb
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The lawsuit accused Reina of secretly opening and controlling corporate credit cards and using station funds to pay mortgage and property tax bills on his West Sacramento home.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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According to a 2020 study published in Nature Communications, which compared populations from different vent fields, the scaly-foot gastropod’s iron sulfide mineralization is biologically controlled and tied to gene expression.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Perception is handled through a dual-lidar setup consisting of Halo and Sentinel systems.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
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Questions regarding vehicle maintenance and specifications are handled by the City of Chicago's Fleet & Facility Management department, which manages all municipal equipment.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Over the past year, security researchers have been warning that hackers are increasingly targeting the technology behind global shipping, quietly manipulating systems that move goods worth millions of dollars.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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The messages—widely condemned as vulgar, misogynistic, racist, and homophobic—also revealed discussions about manipulating media coverage, targeting political opponents, and casual references to the misuse of public funds.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pickard founded The Mind Company after noticing a gap that few were addressing.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Uhlaender addressed the announcement in a statement to Fox News Digital.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Such cover is often used in sectors such as agriculture – with pay-outs for farmers when a flood of a set magnitude occurs, for example – and provides policyholders with a speedy settlement, rather than requiring them to negotiate with loss adjusters.—
David Prosser,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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During his insulated schooling and military training, nobody told Joseph that South Africa’s white civilian leaders had changed their view of Mandela and were beginning to negotiate with him.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nuro's validation process combines simulation, closed-course testing and supervised on-road driving.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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For See It Now Studios Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong are executive producers, and Aysu Saliba and Cara Tortora are supervising producers.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But, like the media companies, both banks are regulated by his Administration, creating an incentive to settle.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
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Breathable, flexible fabrics help regulate temperature and move with your body—especially when layered intentionally.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Saman said some of the wounded who were hospitalized, including one of his friends who was shot in his calf, were then taken into custody by the regime's forces.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
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These recommendations are based, in part, on studies that have found higher relapse rates among those who stop taking the medication versus those who do not.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Micromanage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanage. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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