stage-manage

verb

stage-man·​age ˈstāj-ˌma-nij How to pronounce stage-manage (audio)
stage-managed; stage-managing; stage-manages

transitive verb

1
a
: to arrange or exhibit so as to achieve a desired effect
b
: to arrange or direct from behind the scenes
2
: to act as stage manager for
stage management noun

Examples of stage-manage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As a presidential candidate, Harris will be just as rigorously stage-managed as Joe Biden was in the closing days of his campaign. Noah Rothman, National Review, 22 July 2024 Most of Biden’s media appearances have been stage-managed and sparing, and recently, they have been used as a form of damage control. Candy Woodall, Baltimore Sun, 12 July 2024 Donors to his campaign have been struck by how stage-managed those receptions tend to be. Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 12 July 2024 Over the next two decades, Fulbright would stage-manage some of the most deeply civic moments of the era. Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2021 In fact, most studios stage-managed their contract players’ public images, dressing them on-screen and off. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2024 During contests, officials known as expediters stage-manage the athletes. Alice Li, Washington Post, 14 June 2023 The congress in Beijing has been stage-managed to show support for Mr. Xi’s domestic and foreign policies. Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from stage manager

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stage-manage was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near stage-manage

Cite this Entry

“Stage-manage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stage-manage. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on stage-manage

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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