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
Fahim grew resentful of Cuomo, according to testimony during the trial, and felt he was being micromanaged.
—
Sean Emery, Oc Register, 13 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, 13 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
-
Elinor Dashwood is the epitome of Sense—self-contained, controlled, restrained.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Of California’s 58 counties, only in OC is the investment portfolio not controlled by the treasurer-tax collector.—
John Seiler,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
But Weiss handled the booking and gave Netanyahu the option to select Garrett.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
But the path from prototype to production at scale remains fragmented, handled by a patchwork of specialized suppliers or brave product companies building proprietary deployment and maintenance pipelines.—
Bill Curtis,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Benchmaxing, by contrast, is about the structural conditions under which the entire industry evaluates itself—and, the research argues, those conditions are routinely manipulated or ignored.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
-
With enough optimization and intervention, their argument goes, the body can be manipulated into becoming fully knowable, mastered, perfect.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The parcel was addressed to Vishnevski's home in southern Illinois.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
-
Valadez addressed the global spotlight currently shining on Latin American cinema.—
Jenny S. Li,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The building project was negotiated by Rick Snyder, the former Republican governor of Michigan, and paid for by Canada to help ease congestion at the existing Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor tunnel.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
-
Following the end of the lease, the city of Escondido would regain ownership of the space or a new lease could be negotiated.—
Frankie Rowley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
To reduce the risk of an encounter with bears, the Mammoth Lakes Police Department and wildlife authorities advised the public to never approach bears, keep garbage securely stored, do not leave food outside, and keep dogs leashed and supervised.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
The project was supervised by Becca Mann and StudioCanal’s Jean-Pierre Boiget and Delphine Roussel.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Importantly, supplements like colostrum are not regulated as rigorously as prescription medications by the FDA, which lead to concerns surrounding product quality, purity and consistency.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
But because the title is not regulated, credentials matter.—
Emily Cegielski,
Flow Space,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
After the second red card, Mexico took its foot off the gas again and was met with whistles from the crowd, who were hungry for more goals.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
His 10-year-old son died after paramedics took him to a nearby hospital with severe injuries.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Micromanaged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanaged. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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