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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 micromanage
Kids desperately want to be able to explore and play without adults micromanaging them, Skenazy says.
—
Charlotte Alter, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
The incessant crackdowns, and the campaigns of censorship or censoriousness, suggest that the Chinese regime is intent on not just eliminating opposition, but also micromanaging its people’s lifestyles, consumption, and beliefs.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025
That doesn’t mean burning out or micromanaging every detail.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 24 Aug. 2025
In his exit memo, Bennett urged the commission to avoid micromanaging the negotiation process and instead focus on big-picture policy, public engagement and trust-building.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for micromanage
Charlotte Alter, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
The incessant crackdowns, and the campaigns of censorship or censoriousness, suggest that the Chinese regime is intent on not just eliminating opposition, but also micromanaging its people’s lifestyles, consumption, and beliefs.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025
That doesn’t mean burning out or micromanaging every detail.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 24 Aug. 2025
In his exit memo, Bennett urged the commission to avoid micromanaging the negotiation process and instead focus on big-picture policy, public engagement and trust-building.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for micromanage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for micromanage
Verb
-
Democrats are doing fairly well in the generic congressional ballot, which tests which party voters prefer to control Congress.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The team has now built the first transistor-like switch that controls exciton flow.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The most visible are those in customer service and support, with AI agents now handling millions of customer interactions once handled by live agents over chat, email and even phone.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
There’s also some discussion of how to handle characters with alternate forms, such as Bruce Banner and the Incredible Hulk.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In this approach, quantum information is encoded in various properties of photons, and computation is performed by manipulating these photonic states using optical components.—
Gil Press,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Tahoe is obviously getting more aggressive with icon-shape enforcement, up to and including automatically manipulating them and sentencing them to icon jail.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of predictive policing that reinforces existing biases, envision AI that helps communities understand and address root causes of social problems.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Save from isolated slip-ups, all addressed by and mended with the captain, there were no big issues.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Its Office for Civil Rights investigates allegations at schools and negotiates corrective actions.—
Fred Clasen-Kelly,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Looking forward, 185 countries are negotiating a global plastics treaty aimed at ending plastic pollution by 2040, and to promote a closed loop approach, phasing out unnecessary plastics and encouraging the use of sustainable alternatives.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Four university police officers supervised the event, setting up what appeared to be a sort of perimeter surrounding the group.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
12 Sep. 2025
-
In this photo, mama, who liked posing for the camera, supervises her litter of kittens.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Your liver also plays the very sweet role of regulating your blood sugar levels by releasing glucose and storing glycogen when appropriate.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Among its 14 plant oils are argan kernel and rice bran, which regulate sebum production and loosen dead skin cells, respectively—and, together, leave your pores looking significantly smaller and your skin significantly smoother.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Utah Department of Public of Safety said in an update Wednesday night that two people were initially taken into custody after the shooting but later released.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
-
This shift represents a fundamental change in how professional development happens, with corporations taking direct responsibility for credentialing workers in emerging technologies.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Micromanage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/micromanage. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share