manage

Synonym Chooser

How is the word manage distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of manage are conduct, control, and direct. While all these words mean "to use one's powers to lead, guide, or dominate," manage implies direct handling and manipulating or maneuvering toward a desired result.

manages a meat market

Where would conduct be a reasonable alternative to manage?

The words conduct and manage are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, conduct implies taking responsibility for the acts and achievements of a group.

conducted negotiations

When is control a more appropriate choice than manage?

In some situations, the words control and manage are roughly equivalent. However, control implies a regulating or restraining in order to keep within bounds or on a course.

controlling his appetite

When can direct be used instead of manage?

The meanings of direct and manage largely overlap; however, direct implies constant guiding and regulating so as to achieve smooth operation.

directs the store's day-to-day business

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 manage Chondroitin sulfate has become increasingly popular for managing joint pain, particularly related to osteoarthritis (when the protective cartilage within the joints wears down over time). Elizabeth Barnes, Verywell Health, 31 Mar. 2025 According to former staff, only a handful of employees were not terminated—primarily those working abroad, who have until April 9 to return to the United States, and the regional vice presidents who manage operations in their respective areas. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025 Anybody who has spent time in an IT organization knows how messy and complex managing a large-scale storage environment can be (which drives up costs). Matt Kimball, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 Apple navigated tariffs during the previous Trump administration, too, although the company managed to dodge some of them back then. Lisa Eadicicco, CNN, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for manage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manage
Verb
  • There were other notable AI appearances at SXSW including Rivian, which is on the road to Level 3 autonomy and had a thrilling Electric Joyride where passengers could experience how well the electric car handles tricky terrain and steep curves.
    Martine Paris, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • According to a February Quinnipiac poll, about half disapprove of how Democrats in Congress are handling their job, compared with about 4 in 10 who approve.
    Jonathan J. Cooper, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Among the film’s interviewees are two former nuns at the school and the abbot who supervised several of the priests accused of rape and murder.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025
  • By strictly supervising the pasteurization process, Evangelina ensured that no infants would die due to tainted milk supplies.
    Laura Gómez, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The class encompasses information about exercises to prepare the mother for birth, relaxation and coping techniques, pain control options, labor positioning, induction and C-section basics, recovery and welcoming baby.
    Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2025
  • What is grief if not living in the liminal space between mourning and coping, of life and death itself?
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Some billions of years later, some of that multicellular life figured out how to be reasonably smart and start using tools to manipulate and control its environment.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Cybercriminals can trick authentication systems, approve fraudulent transactions or even manipulate corporate communications.
    Khurram Akhtar, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Marks oversaw the agency’s rapid review and approval of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments during the height of the pandemic.
    Michael Casey and Matthew Perrone, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
  • So much life happened in that station, said Jeana Johnson, who oversees museums in Sedgwick County.
    Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • This was the best of both creative stimulating worlds, essentially doing a play on screen.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2025
  • And when we were done talking about that, I was spun out, he was spun out.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Students have led activism efforts to address societal issues like apartheid, war, climate change and racial inequality.
    Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
  • Food insecurity is a growing issue, and teachers are taking personal responsibility to address it in their classrooms.
    Wendy Wisner, Parents, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Healthcare and particularly infectious diseases do not operate in a vacuum.
    Omer Awan, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The spaceport is operated by Andøya Space, a company 90 percent owned by the Norwegian government through the Ministry for Trade, Industry, and Fisheries.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 23 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Manage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manage. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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