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
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
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
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
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
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
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
-
The board was controlled by Evers appointees when Rothman was hired.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The painting was purchased at auction from Christie’s by International Art Center, a holding company controlled by Nahmad, in 1996 and placed in storage in Switzerland.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The company conducting the implosion has previously handled several high-profile demolitions, including the historic Deauville Hotel, South Shore Hospital, and the remaining structure of the Surfside condominium building.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Theatrical bookings and marketing outreach will be handled by Tejinder Jouhal and Krushil Patel, while Tony Gill’s diversity PR and marketing agency Media House Global will lead the publicity campaign, with producer and publicist Dheeraj Agnihotri in an advisory role.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Additionally, advanced signal-processing techniques can help identify whether messages are genuinely coming from different sources or are being manipulated by a single malicious actor.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Apr. 2026
-
During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hill has never publicly addressed Brady’s posts.—
Leigh Blickley,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
-
But these challenges are not unusual — and in many cases, they are routinely addressed through design, mitigation or negotiation.—
Charles Rilli,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the time, Epstein was serving his 18-month sentence in the Palm Beach County stockade but was allowed to spend 12 hours a day, six days a week, in his office under a work-release program his attorneys had negotiated.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Spice levels are negotiated with shorthand, on a scale from one to five.—
Timothy DePeugh,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Muscle Distribution has announced plans to release the 2019 4K restoration, which was conducted by Criterion and supervised by May herself, beginning with a Film at Lincoln Center engagement in June before national expansion follows.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
8 Apr. 2026
-
In a March 25 court filing, federal prosecutors requested a prison sentence of 180 months, or 15 years, followed by three years’ supervised release.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And actually, the Bell Telephone Company was that way at one point, but they were regulated.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Banks are tightly regulated by laws meant to protect consumers from theft and fraud.—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His death marked the loss of a titan in the Civil Rights Movement, defined by a six-decade career that took him across the country and around the world.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Not many years ago, a ruthless man with an uneasy mind took power in his country and created a cult of personality.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Micromanaged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanaged. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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