regulate

verb

ˈre-gyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce regulate (audio)
Definition of regulatenext
1
as in to control
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) you would be well advised to regulate your enthusiasm for the venture and pause to consider the risk involved

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to manage
to look after and make decisions about the government agency that regulates the nuclear power industry in this country

Synonyms & Similar 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 regulate Arizona, where Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix is located, does not have a state-level agency that regulates amusement park rides or conducts safety inspections at all. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Witch fever, by this point in history, had become a mechanism for brutally regulating and disciplining female behavior, and doing so intergenerationally. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 The sentence closes a criminal case that grew from an endangerment arrest into a sweeping prosecution tied to multiple deaths and reshaped how Texas regulates unlicensed care homes and the agents who steer older adults into them. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026 The aim of the report, Gladstone’s executives tell TIME, is to give lawmakers a better understanding of how RSI works, and, in turn, a greater ability to regulate it. — Billy Perrigo, Time, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for regulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regulate
  1. control
  2. manage
  3. contain
  4. supervise
  5. curb
  6. operate
  7. restrain
  8. oversee
Verb
  • The question confronting Israel and its international partners is not simply whether money should flow into Gaza, but also who controls it—and whether the next arrangement will avoid the failures of the last.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Virginia did a good job controlling SMU for long stretches, but a few big plays negated all that.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of control
Verb
  • For younger consumers who have always managed much of their lives through apps, these experiences often feel like different versions of the same activity.
    — Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Separate nozzles also don't solve the problems of bonding incompatible materials or managing different printing temperatures.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of manage
Verb
  • This post contains spoilers for The Diplomat Season 4, now streaming on Netflix.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers started by making a single, long protein that contained the protease, the sequence it was designed to target, and a fluorescent protein.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of contain
Verb
  • Fisker Automotive said that an internal investigation supervised by transportation regulators found salt corrosion had caused a short circuit in the battery, leading to the fire, rather than a preexisting defect.
    — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Moton discussed it and his future with numerous people, including his family and Panthers team doctor Nancy Gritter, who supervised much of his care.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of supervise
Verb
  • Washington has pressed Zelenskyy to curb attacks on energy facilities, linking them to the rising price of US fuel in the run-up to midterm elections, where Republicans are expected to fare poorly.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sending one of its scientists to Pennsylvania to help curb the state’s growing measles outbreak, a CDC spokesperson said Thursday.
    — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of curb
Verb
  • The integration could help American troops operate uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) when adversaries attempt to disrupt battlefield communications.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The team’s last-second win over the Philadelphia Eagles last week in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was organized and operated by the NFL, part of the league’s more standard rotation of all teams playing overseas.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of operate
Verb
  • According to the report, one of the nightclub's owners attempted to physically restrain Lindo and pleaded with him to drop the weapon, describing Lindo as acting focused on his target.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Corrections officials said the officers forced Olivas back into his cell and restrained him.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of restrain
Verb
  • The list of senior executives did not answer the question of who would oversee the old Paramount and Warner Bros.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Florida has the nation’s busiest death chamber DeSantis, who leaves office in January, oversaw 19 executions in 2025, more than any other Florida governor in a single year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
    — David Fischer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of oversee

Browse Nearby Words

regulars
regulate
regulated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Regulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regulate. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All