micromanage

verb

mi·​cro·​man·​age ˌmī-krō-ˈma-nij How to pronounce micromanage (audio)
micromanaged; micromanaging; micromanages

transitive verb

: to manage especially with excessive control or attention to details

intransitive verb

: to direct or conduct the activities of a group or an enterprise by micromanaging them
micromanagement noun
micromanager noun

Examples of micromanage in a Sentence

He micromanaged every detail of the budget.
Recent Examples on the Web Who understands that the mayor and City Council are elected to set policy for the city manager to carry out, not to directly micromanage city operations. East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024 Teams don’t need a leader who micromanages or claims to have everything figured out. Mike Ott, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 Use check-ins for clarifying priorities, providing feedback, sharing issues and discussing development plans—not micromanaging work. Jonathan H. Westover, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 Congress should eliminate it, reduce invasive federal regulation, and stop giving bureaucrats the power to micromanage financial risks. Norbert Michel, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for micromanage 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'micromanage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of micromanage was in 1976

Dictionary Entries Near micromanage

Cite this Entry

“Micromanage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/micromanage. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on micromanage

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