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
Kids desperately want to be able to explore and play without adults micromanaging them, Skenazy says.
—
Charlotte Alter, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
The incessant crackdowns, and the campaigns of censorship or censoriousness, suggest that the Chinese regime is intent on not just eliminating opposition, but also micromanaging its people’s lifestyles, consumption, and beliefs.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025
That doesn’t mean burning out or micromanaging every detail.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 24 Aug. 2025
This resulted in a tendency to be highly active as parents of college students, which included some parents micromanaging their students.
—Eric Wood, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Don't talk about trust while micromanaging.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Charlotte Alter, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
The incessant crackdowns, and the campaigns of censorship or censoriousness, suggest that the Chinese regime is intent on not just eliminating opposition, but also micromanaging its people’s lifestyles, consumption, and beliefs.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025
That doesn’t mean burning out or micromanaging every detail.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 24 Aug. 2025
This resulted in a tendency to be highly active as parents of college students, which included some parents micromanaging their students.
—Eric Wood, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Don't talk about trust while micromanaging.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for micromanaging
Verb
-
However, there's a significant difference between containing and controlling a wildfire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Merino wool also has natural temperature-regulating and odor-controlling properties—both of which are ideal for hiking.—
Anne Taylor,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Best Friend Forever is handling world sales.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Anton is handling worldwide rights and co-repping North American rights with UTA Independent Film Group and Cinetic.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For good measure, Burroughs also engaged with Barrett’s explanation that addressing both backward- and forward-looking claims would have required two separate court orders.—
Noah Feldman,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Law enforcement officials are addressing mounting concerns after a series of troubling cases involving criminals impersonating police officers have surfaced, raising alarms about public safety and trust in genuine authority.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Was Prater manipulating evidence?—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
-
One was based on hard-coding logical rules for categorizing inputs into symbols and then for manipulating those symbols to arrive at outputs.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
On Tinder alone, men dominate the active user base, which gives women more choice and negotiating power.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Brown as the crafty Pauline is the true scene stealer, negotiating terms of terror herself.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As the film starts, Maria is first met supervising a class trip to the local cider factory owned by local burgher Frank (Sean Gilder), whose daughter Pauline (Nia Brown) is in Maria’s class.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Talent shifts from large sets of tier-1 agents to a smaller set of specialists focused on supervising, handling escalations, training, and improving AI systems.—
Sanjay Srivastava,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Physio Ash Pracy departs while head of women’s physio Amy Cranston is also taking maternity leave on a temporary basis.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Kelce then helped the Chiefs by taking one for the team.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For many leaders, the most significant shift in leadership is not about managing bigger projects or larger teams.—
Matthew C. Meade,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Despite daunting market conditions, America’s youngest generation of adults is managing to break into the housing market in growing numbers.—
Sara Chernikoff,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Micromanaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanaging. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share