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
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
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
-
What could’ve turned into a game of foul trouble and interruptions instead turned into a game Brunson controlled anyway.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
-
Traditionally, the tech sector has been controlled by a few very large firms that generate big margins.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
4 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
-
Gas prices can be manipulated by war, the market or the discretion of how much oil companies want to refine.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
And getting back to the Jewish donors who supposedly manipulated Ferguson’s efforts to block mid-cycle congressional districting.—
Howard Libit,
Baltimore Sun,
3 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
-
Another bill that the legislature got wrong was S1418a which would have regulated Kratom use.—
Mark Dee
May 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 May 2026
-
Online sportsbooks, like FanDuel or DraftKings, are regulated by states, most of which require users to be 21 years old to gamble.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
1 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 11 May. 2026.
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