as in controlling
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 micromanaging
That didn’t appear to be the case in this instance; this was personal animosity—a secretary who was micromanaging personnel decisions in the Army, looking to put his own stamp on that service.
—
Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Instead of micromanaging every finger, humans provide high-level input while the AI handles coordination.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
Elite athletes are not consciously micromanaging each action.
—David Van Den Heever, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
That becomes micromanaging very quickly.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2026
Senate Bill 199 drew criticism and accusations of micromanaging universities.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
The company also argued the shareholder proposal amounts to micromanaging day-to-day operations.
—Mike Schneider, Fortune, 8 Dec. 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
Angie Katsanevas, who loves brand names, beauty and micromanaging her family, swaps lives with off-the-grid homesteader and former Mormon Lindsay Flake, whose family lives without electricity, running water and rules.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 16 Sep. 2025
Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Instead of micromanaging every finger, humans provide high-level input while the AI handles coordination.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
Elite athletes are not consciously micromanaging each action.
—David Van Den Heever, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
That becomes micromanaging very quickly.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2026
Senate Bill 199 drew criticism and accusations of micromanaging universities.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
The company also argued the shareholder proposal amounts to micromanaging day-to-day operations.
—Mike Schneider, Fortune, 8 Dec. 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
Angie Katsanevas, who loves brand names, beauty and micromanaging her family, swaps lives with off-the-grid homesteader and former Mormon Lindsay Flake, whose family lives without electricity, running water and rules.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for micromanaging
Verb
-
Her students have more trouble controlling their bodies and expressing their feelings.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Federal officials recently launched a prize competition to reward ideas for controlling the flow of aquatic species into and out of the ballasts of boats that travel among the various lakes and waterways across the United States.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The Veterans is handling international sales, with domestic distribution rights represented by CAA Media Finance.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
7 May 2026
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The film is being launched as a package on the Cannes Marché du Film, with The Veterans repping international sales rights and CAA Media Finance handling domestic.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Ude has already observed progress in addressing Nigeria’s cultural disconnect.—
Daron James,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
The session will examine AI’s impact on production, ethics and creative work, while also addressing the rise of vertical microdramas as a mobile-first format.—
Emiliano de Pablos,
Variety,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
More ruthless than ever, Tony Baddingham (Tennant) is determined to dismantle his rivals piece-by-piece, weaponizing scandal and manipulating those closest to him to maintain his grip on power.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
-
Eric Richins' other sister, Katie Richins-Benson, accused Kouri Richins of isolating and manipulating the couple's sons while attempting to take their inheritance.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Marandi served as an adviser to Iran’s negotiating team during the 2015 nuclear talks and still has close ties to the Iranian government.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
The sides having been negotiating since the summer of 2024, and the NFL had begun the hiring process for replacement officials last month.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
There is no minimum height to ride, though riders under 46 inches must ride with a supervising companion, according to the park.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
At the end of April, a statement attributed to Khamenei indicated Iran would create the mechanism to supervising traffic at the waterway.—
Eleni Giokos,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Washington said the airport’s 36-mile-long fence meets Federal Aviation Administration requirements and noted that there are multiple layers of security to prevent a breach from taking place.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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More Americans are hitting the road, boarding flights and taking cruises this Memorial Day, according to AAA.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Your co-parent is managing treatment, uncertainty and the very real fear of how this will affect his relationship with his daughter.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
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Researchers around the world continue to face difficulties in managing millions of qubits reliably, leading many companies and laboratories to prioritize more achievable near-term applications using systems built with dozens or hundreds of qubits instead of massive large-scale architectures.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Micromanaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanaging. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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