micromanaging

verb

present participle of micromanage
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of micromanaging C-suite leaders become responsible not for micromanaging every individual decision, but for architecting and monitoring how well the overall AI system performs over time. — Ali Hoss, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 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 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
  1. controlling
  2. handling
  3. addressing
  4. manipulating
  5. negotiating
  6. supervising
  7. taking
  8. managing
Verb
  • The Ravens did that, committing only three penalties for 25 yards (the Eagles had 10 for 96), limiting their mistakes and controlling the line of scrimmage.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • During my drives in the Model Y, the vehicle was essentially controlling itself for multiple hours and dozens of miles without intervention on highway and nonhighway roads.
    — Michael Wayland, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of controlling
Verb
  • Dickinson is very skilled at handling the puck, and often creates chances due to the combo of his skating and skill.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The company has since grown into one of the largest full-service media firms in the industry, handling localization, distribution and post-production work for studios, streamers and content creators around the world.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of handling
Verb
  • The scrambles to paper over the shortfalls essentially kick the fiscal can down the road without addressing the underlying causes.
    — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Medicare supplemental insurance, also known as Medigap, is one option for addressing some of those expenses.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of addressing
Verb
  • Sandoval’s ex, Dillon Maquindang, stood at a podium Thursday morning and decried the defendant for cheating on them, manipulating them and taking out his failures on Maquindang’s family.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In recent years, totalizing ideologies such as communism, fascism, and Islamism have found dedicated audiences on social media, and the proliferation of demagogues manipulating people for malign ends is an ever-present worry.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of manipulating
Verb
  • Traffic through the waterway remains low and although Iran and Oman are negotiating over the waterway, there are no immediate signs of a deal.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • He may be entitled to dislike the Supreme Court’s answer but he is really not entitled to keep fidgeting with it as though a constitutional Supreme Court judgment were merely a negotiating position.
    — Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of negotiating
Verb
  • Nick Martin, a DOT supervising engineer and project manager for the bridge rehab, answered that the choices aren’t that simple.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026
  • What used to be just a one-button trigger to call up an app has evolved into a multi-button, multi-input device for supervising and orchestrating multiple AI tools and agents at once.
    — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of supervising
Verb
  • During this past weekend’s practice, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound receiver again worked inside with the strength staff to begin practice instead of taking reps with the wideouts.
    — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Consumers are being more proactive than ever and taking their health into their own hands.
    — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of taking
Verb
  • Mourinho’s first game back at the Bernabeu should be box-office given the divisions his last spell in charge from 2010 to 2013 caused at Madrid — and his behaviour when managing Benfica against Madrid in the Champions League last year.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Yet Schore makes a compelling case that the greatest opportunity for reclaiming time isn't found by reorganizing schedules but by managing the internal conversations that quietly consume them.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of managing

Browse Nearby Words

micromanages
micromanaging
microminiature
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Cite this Entry

“Micromanaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanaging. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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