as in controlled
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 micromanaged
But jurors were told their relationship quickly soured, with Fahim apparently frustrated at the level of work that Cuomo was assigning him and complaining that he was being micromanaged.
—
Sean Emery, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
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, 18 Apr. 2026
As the clock counts down to Rachel and Nicky’s wedding, which is being micromanaged by Nicky’s sister Portia (Gus Birney), the Cunningham family reveals a few secrets of their own.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2026
You can’t be truly trusted if you are being micromanaged or scared to make a mistake.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2026
Allen even complained that he was being micromanaged about a week before the Tamarac murders.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 20 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
Sean Emery, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
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, 18 Apr. 2026
As the clock counts down to Rachel and Nicky’s wedding, which is being micromanaged by Nicky’s sister Portia (Gus Birney), the Cunningham family reveals a few secrets of their own.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2026
You can’t be truly trusted if you are being micromanaged or scared to make a mistake.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2026
Allen even complained that he was being micromanaged about a week before the Tamarac murders.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 20 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for micromanaged
Verb
-
Instead of everything being controlled through a single touch-screen, dedicated physical controls and circuits would allow easier servicing of individual components.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
-
Altman and Brockman say OpenAI is still controlled by a nonprofit foundation, despite having a for-profit arm with outside investors.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
That’s similar to how the Fire-Rescue Department handled a highly critical 2023 audit of how the city coordinates brush management on city property, including in parks, wildlands and canyons.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
In Islamic thought, wealth is understood as a trust from God, to be handled with care and never mistaken for proof of divine endorsement.—
Boutayna Chokrane,
Pitchfork,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Defense attorneys argued at trial that the investigation into the assassination was a mess and that the four were manipulated into taking blame for an internal coup.—
David Fischer,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
These were teenagers, and they were manipulated.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The email, addressed to the entire board, announced a December special meeting to vote on a tax increase.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Jean Unger, who attended the march last June, addressed the court during Thursday's hearing.—
Sarah Horbacewicz,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
These are trade-offs that can be negotiated, at both the local and national levels, to benefit our communities.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
His presence caused periodic traffic jams as Washington police closed lanes and negotiated with him.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
On the assumption that everything on-set was fully supervised at every turn, the results are frequently thrilling and ultimately haunting.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 May 2026
-
Besides the driver, an amiable man who was happy to explain how the shredder worked, only a few nervous schoolchildren stood around, supervised by a woman with a badge that identified her as an envoy of the library.—
Mary Norris,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
At the Yamada house, TV access was regulated and studying was emphasized, but free play was routine.—
Andre Mouchard,
Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
Airbnb, which is best known for its short-term home rentals, has begun offering rooms at boutique hotels in markets where short-term rentals are tightly regulated.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Water has been a focus of the Newsom administration since his first day in office, when the governor took his cabinet to Monterey Park Tract, a rural Central Valley community that lacked access to safe drinking water.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
Last Saturday, during SDFC’s rivalry match against LAFC, one fan took the message up a notch.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Micromanaged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanaged. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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