MICROMANAGING Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

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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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

Verb

Sacramento dominated the game on the stat sheet, controlling 65% of the possession and outpassing Boise by a 2-to-1 margin.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 12 July 2026
Managing those demands — simplifying decisions, controlling tempo and conserving energy — may be as much a feature of playing in the heat as the physical strain itself.

— Alan McCall, New York Times, 11 July 2026

Definition of controlling

Verb

For decades, the traditional healthcare and fitness sectors have operated on a model that prescribes band-aid solutions, actively treating superficial symptoms rather than addressing the root causes of physical and mental exhaustion.

— Ginger Gentile, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
These insights may help remediation teams prioritize their response efforts, including addressing potentially inaccurate information, improving the visibility of accurate content, and supporting broader reputation-management objectives.

— William Jones, USA Today, 7 July 2026

Definition of addressing

Verb

This is by no means the first time that HAARP has been accused of controlling or manipulating the weather.

— Emma Woollacott, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
After Cape Fear anchors us in those assurances, the men’s enmity continues manipulating our expectations and our beliefs.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026

Definition of manipulating

Verb

Turkey is reportedly negotiating the resale of its unused S-400 air defense systems to a Persian Gulf Arab monarchy, a move that could pave the way for lifting US sanctions and Turkey's re-entry into the F-35 program.

— Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
The union is still negotiating an agreement with Universal Television’s The Four Seasons, which streams on Netflix.

— Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2026

Definition of negotiating

Verb

That includes arranging seat belts into place and manipulating small fastenings; working with delicate parts like hoses, wires, carpets and trim panels and supervising technology on the floor.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
Nadella is also supervising major changes in units such as Xbox and has become more hands-on with product development.

— Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 27 June 2026

Definition of supervising

Verb

Tokyo — Japan may have its first ever female prime minister, but her government’s attempts to avoid a royal succession crisis are making the chances of a woman taking the imperial throne ever slimmer.

— Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Since taking office, al-Zaidi has made a public show of cracking down on corruption.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026

Definition of taking

Verb

Diabetes medications, arthritis treatments, allergy shots, and auto-injectors all make care more accessible when managing chronic conditions.

— Irina Butler, Boston Herald, 10 July 2026
Despite the challenges posed to ranchers, wolves play an important role in managing the balance of an ecosystem.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Definition of managing

Browse Nearby Words

micromanages

micromanaging

microminiature

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“Micromanaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanaging. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of micromanaging

verb

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