as in to control
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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Recent Examples of micromanage
The nation’s 2014 coup d’etat was commonly ascribed to a desire by the nation’s elites to micromanage the transition to King Vajiralongkorn.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 26 June 2025
The trustees are supposed to provide guidance and oversight but not to manage — and definitely not to micromanage.
—Luis A. Nunes Amaral, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
Add Value And Deliver Without Micromanagement Managing up means making your boss’s job easier by staying ahead, communicating clearly and delivering without being micromanaged.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
The feds’ case portrayed the mogul as a ruthless and micromanaging boss who, during the two decades before his September 2024 arrest, abused his larger-than-life status in the industry to control his employees and lovers alike through violence and intimidation.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for micromanage
Charlie Campbell, Time, 26 June 2025
The trustees are supposed to provide guidance and oversight but not to manage — and definitely not to micromanage.
—Luis A. Nunes Amaral, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
Add Value And Deliver Without Micromanagement Managing up means making your boss’s job easier by staying ahead, communicating clearly and delivering without being micromanaged.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
The feds’ case portrayed the mogul as a ruthless and micromanaging boss who, during the two decades before his September 2024 arrest, abused his larger-than-life status in the industry to control his employees and lovers alike through violence and intimidation.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for micromanage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for micromanage
Verb
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The home country of this dark and enduring masterpiece from 1985 is the eerily-retrograde Republic of Gilead, in which women who once held jobs and led independent lives are now strictly controlled and monitored, valued only for their ovaries and their obedience.—
Dan Fesperman
July 22,
Literary Hub,
22 July 2025
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Like her biblical namesake, Ruth is loyal and steadfast to her friend, while Maria is independent and creative, often controlling the narrative of their relationship and even determining their future trajectories: Maria is an extrovert, so Ruth must be an introvert.—
Bekah Waalkes,
The Atlantic,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Today’s chatbots, in contrast, can engage in meaningful, multi-turn conversations—answering complex questions, handling follow-ups, and even escalating issues when necessary.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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The poll also shows that 39 percent approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president versus 56 percent who disapprove.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Fast-forward to this month, when Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement to move past Trump's claims that CBS's 60 Minutes deceptively manipulated a pre-election interview with Kamala Harris.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
25 July 2025
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The Dershowitz theory does not compute because the government invariably manipulates projections about future harm for ulterior partisan or personal motives.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
24 July 2025
Verb
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An inspector identified seven violations on July 8 and gave Ali until Aug. 12 to address them, according to city records.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
22 July 2025
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In the latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman addressed the question.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
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The proposal by the Commission was negotiated behind closed doors and largely held secret until the final draft was approved.—
Jon McGowan,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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This month, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro negotiated a prisoner swap with the United States, releasing 10 American citizens in his custody and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Dogs should be supervised when chewing on a bone, and larger breeds should get large ones to prevent swallowing; there are also plenty of chew toys that have a similar texture to bones, which could be a good alternative.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
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But for now, corrections employees are supervising a rising number of prisoners.—
Mario Koran,
jsonline.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
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These entities have proliferated ever since the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case, which effectively struck down longtime campaign finance regulations that sought to limit and regulate spending on political campaigns.—
M.L. Elrick,
Freep.com,
21 July 2025
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Help available for crashing out, including interventions such as therapy, as well as learning how to regulate emotions better and practicing self-care during times of significant stress.—
Angelica Bottaro,
Verywell Health,
20 July 2025
Verb
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The night started after the second veto meeting, in which Kelley Jorgensen took herself off the block.—
David Wysong,
The Enquirer,
26 July 2025
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When Webb takes a picture of a distant galaxy, astronomers like me are actually seeing what that galaxy looked like billions of years ago.—
Adi Foord,
Space.com,
26 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Micromanage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanage. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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