as in bosses
one who is above another in rank, station, or office
if a customer is rude to you, report it to your superior and she'll handle it
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Recent Examples of superiors
Though young missing-persons detective Dalia (May Calamawy) is earnest in her attempts to help, her superiors cast suspicion on Katie’s parents; eight years later, the girl is still missing, while the family has relocated to New Mexico.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Based on their own investigation, Brown’s team submitted an affidavit to their superiors at DOJ that did not make a strong enough case to move forward with what Olsen wanted.
—Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 13 Apr. 2026
Xi was trusted to hear his superiors discuss such state secrets.
—Michael Sheridan, Vanity Fair, 8 Apr. 2026
Motions to dismiss charges in the case paint some of the officers as rookies deferring to their superiors.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The younger Altman was ousted in February 1998 for failing to tell his superiors about the existence of a controversial videotape that showed firefighters drinking beer and using racial slurs at a firehouse retirement party, the Tribune previously reported.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Polymeropoulos described a case involving a serviceman who was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and recommended for the Purple Heart by his superiors.
—Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
The man asks for a cigar and the jail superintendent doesn’t need to ask for his superiors’ permission.
—Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Around this time, a young Israeli national-security official reached the same conclusion and began urging his superiors to organize an internal coup against Assad.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Based on their own investigation, Brown’s team submitted an affidavit to their superiors at DOJ that did not make a strong enough case to move forward with what Olsen wanted.
—Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 13 Apr. 2026
Xi was trusted to hear his superiors discuss such state secrets.
—Michael Sheridan, Vanity Fair, 8 Apr. 2026
Motions to dismiss charges in the case paint some of the officers as rookies deferring to their superiors.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The younger Altman was ousted in February 1998 for failing to tell his superiors about the existence of a controversial videotape that showed firefighters drinking beer and using racial slurs at a firehouse retirement party, the Tribune previously reported.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Polymeropoulos described a case involving a serviceman who was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and recommended for the Purple Heart by his superiors.
—Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
The man asks for a cigar and the jail superintendent doesn’t need to ask for his superiors’ permission.
—Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Around this time, a young Israeli national-security official reached the same conclusion and began urging his superiors to organize an internal coup against Assad.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for superiors
Noun
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Don’t push your luck today when dealing with parents or bosses.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
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San Diegans should look at this in the same way that a shareholder in a small company would evaluate that company when the number of midlevel bosses went from seven to 39 — even as the company’s overall workload remained about the same.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Better coordination among state agencies would result in fewer elders being sent to poorly performing homes, Driskell said.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
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Metcalfe Park Elders is a series of profiles featuring elders living in Milwaukee's Metcalfe Park neighborhood who share their personal stories, memories and vision for the future of their community.—
April Quevedo,
jsonline.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Spain recently hosted a summit of global leaders from the left and center left.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
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Such procedures are often left open for 24 hours, and the Cypriot presidency said that final approval could come on Thursday, when EU leaders are gathering for a summit in Cyprus.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The top 10 men’s and women’s finishers at the Boston Marathon will all earn prize money, along with the top 10 wheelchair division finishers and the top three masters runners.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
20 Apr. 2026
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While some recordings aren't in the archive yet, new hi-res masters will continue to be added.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Superiors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/superiors. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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