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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
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
Kids desperately want to be able to explore and play without adults micromanaging them, Skenazy says.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
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
Kids desperately want to be able to explore and play without adults micromanaging them, Skenazy says.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for micromanaging
Verb
-
The Kings came into the night already controlling its path to the postseason, and Nashville’s 4-1 loss at Utah on Thursday created breathing room.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
But by the Vietnam War, controlling visuals had become much more difficult.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The District Court judge handling the case in California, Biden appointee Rita Lin, described the Anthropic blacklisting as retaliation that violates the First Amendment.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Experts say household robots still face hurdles, including cluttered environments, varied lighting, and handling soft objects.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This historical illiteracy – as well as a fundamental lack of understanding about what constitutes anti-Semitism – leaves institutions without clear standards for addressing the centuries-old hatred.—
Kenneth L. Marcus,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The crowd celebrating Magyar's victory was full of young people, many first-time voters, who said Magyar earned their support by crisscrossing the country and addressing a wide range of domestic problems.—
Compiled byDemocrat-Gazette stafffrom wire reports,
Arkansas Online,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There was the patriarch, Abbas Khan, prowling through the pages, making real-estate deals, manipulating people.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Full-palm tactile sensing allows the robot to continue manipulating objects even when cameras are obstructed or when precise force control is required, such as in assembly tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Iran’s negotiating team, chaired by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Arghchi, met late Friday with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The administration has already spent at least $40 million to deport roughly 300 migrants through such deals and is negotiating with 47 countries to expand the program further.—
Gerald Imray,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Snow remains out of custody on bail, with conditions that include a prohibition against supervising children other than her own.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
John Trefry is co-executive producer and Aysu Saliba and Cara Tortora are supervising producers.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
So far, he's picked up and dropped off about ten people, taking them to anything from doctor's appointments to haircuts.—
Carmela Karcher,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Rhyne did not advocate for taking money from the state’s $625 million school voucher program to fund public schools.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Number one, across the world, governments have pulled out of managing the economy, managing companies, and let the private sector do the job.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
At a dinner years ago, during his time managing a $1 billion mandate alongside JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs, Grantham was administered an elaborate personality test featuring animal avatars.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Micromanaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanaging. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
