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
The document itself is an odd grab-bag of micromanaging grant processes, assertion of presidential power, and airing of cultural grievances.
—
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
That might look like remembering the name of a tenant’s dog, checking in on how a vendor’s week is going or finding ways to motivate your staff without micromanaging them.
—
Alex Vasquez,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Hollywood became Hollywood long before Sacramento began micromanaging economic development.
—
Will Swaim,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
And while Meta’s future looks more uncertain than ever, Zuckerberg has turned his attention towards building a photorealistic AI clone of himself to make his micromanaging presence omnipresent throughout the company.
—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
13 May 2026
Fahim, a financial analyst, was reportedly frustrated by the amount of work Cuomo would assign him, and had claimed Cuomo was micromanaging him.
—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Instead, Putin spends more time in underground bunkers micromanaging his war, paranoid about a coup or an assassination attempt by Ukrainian drones, sources told the Financial Times.
—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
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
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
That might look like remembering the name of a tenant’s dog, checking in on how a vendor’s week is going or finding ways to motivate your staff without micromanaging them.
—
Alex Vasquez,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Hollywood became Hollywood long before Sacramento began micromanaging economic development.
—
Will Swaim,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
And while Meta’s future looks more uncertain than ever, Zuckerberg has turned his attention towards building a photorealistic AI clone of himself to make his micromanaging presence omnipresent throughout the company.
—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
13 May 2026
Fahim, a financial analyst, was reportedly frustrated by the amount of work Cuomo would assign him, and had claimed Cuomo was micromanaging him.
—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Instead, Putin spends more time in underground bunkers micromanaging his war, paranoid about a coup or an assassination attempt by Ukrainian drones, sources told the Financial Times.
—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for micromanaging
Verb
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France has largely dominated, controlling 68% of possession and creating a whopping seven shots on goal.
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No other sports empire on our list owns controlling stakes in teams as diverse — NFL, NBA, NHL, Premiere League soccer — or as widely spread out geographically — Los Angeles, Denver, London — as KSE.
Verb
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There is a dedicated Microsoft Copilot key and a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of handling AI workloads more efficiently than the main processor.
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Mediawan Rights, the sales arm of the production-distribution powerhouse, is handling international sales alongside Entourage Media.
Verb
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Steve Starner, chief executive officer of Continuous Composites, said the company is focused on addressing manufacturing challenges involving high-performance and high-temperature materials.
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After both letters were sent, Savannah Guthrie made a post on Instagram addressing her mother’s kidnappers.
Verb
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But Swedish intelligence recently alleged the country was manipulating economic data and that the true inflation rate could be much higher, perhaps as high as 15%.
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Fears of government officials manipulating world events – including the Iran war – to make a quick buck.
Verb
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Twice already, in November of 2025 and February of this year, the seven states involved in re-negotiating water rights and use along with the 100-year old treaty kicked the can down the road and failed to come to an agreement on water sharing.
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Now lawmakers and Newsom are negotiating further cuts.
Verb
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Army investigations have repeatedly pointed to the same factors contributing to fatal training incidents including sleep deprivation, inadequate training and inexperienced leaders supervising high-risk exercises.
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The family's complaint accuses the church of negligence in operating the event and in supervising the volunteer who allegedly placed the recording device.
Verb
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On Election Day, Schlossberg was campaigning out in the rain despite the concerning polls, hearing stories from passersby about their Kennedy encounters over the years and taking selfies with starstruck supporters.
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Starting at age 10, kids can also sign up as counselors-in-training, helping younger campers in the morning and taking classes with their own age group in the afternoon.
Verb
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Cruise lines are constantly managing a shifting inventory of cabin categories right up until embarkation day.
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The lack of Navy interest in managing NAVFAC leads, at best, to a leisurely approach to getting anything done.
Cite this Entry
“Micromanaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanaging. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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