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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And there’s a chance the Giants vote against Sacramento as an expansion site because the Giants want to continue controlling the market.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
-
As with minimizing soil disturbance, this, too, helps tremendously with controlling erosion, increasing the carbon content of soil and conserving moisture.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Pasadena police will be handling the perimeter and directing pedestrians and traffic away from the training area.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Xcel also plans to file additional proposals addressing both short-term and long-term power needs.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
2 June 2026
-
Peace deals or a crackdown Voters across Latin America are increasingly ditching leaders that pitched progressive policies aimed at addressing the root issues of conflict, such as lack of opportunities for young people and corruption.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The ever-expanding, replicating, and manipulating series of rooms take scraps and memories of those who pass through it, expanding into something that defies personality or ease.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
-
Uribe sued Cepeda for allegedly manipulating witnesses, but the Supreme Court cleared Cepeda of wrongdoing.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator between the US and Iran in recent months during the war in the Middle East, playing a leading role in negotiating a temporary ceasefire in April.—
Alayna Treene,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
College hockey already is negotiating a tumultuous era.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Instead of acting as intermediaries, humans focus on defining policies, supervising system behavior and handling exceptions.—
Krupesh Bhat,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The defendant, 36, who has not been publicly identified, is accused of assaulting children while supervising them in bathrooms, during lunch breaks and in after-school care between August 2024 and April 2025.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Several Republican primaries are taking place Tuesday in South Dakota, where Democrats have been shut out of statewide office since 2015.—
Washington Post staff,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
-
The Peninsula swimming pool is among the best in the city; there's no better way to beat the heat in this famously hot capital than by taking a dip right on the river.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
Verb
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White can point to patterns and minutes restrictions, and there is a reasonable basketball explanation for managing Boston's workload.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
-
The Spurs’ defense was incredibly connected, aggressively rotating on and off SGA doubles and managing not to get exposed on the back end.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Micromanaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanaging. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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