1
as in domineering
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1
as in regulating
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
you must learn to control your temper
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in containing
to gain emotional or mental control of
he controlled himself only with the greatest difficulty in the face of his opponent's insulting remarks
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3
as in governing
to exercise authority or power over
circumstances often control the choices we make in life
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4
as in managing
to look after and make decisions about
during the period that she controlled the company it was highly profitable
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of controlling
Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Small controlling actions can become bigger controlling actions.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Sourdif’s pace, energy and defensive play have been top-notch, with the Capitals controlling 54 percent of scoring chances and outscoring teams 27-15 during his five-on-five shifts.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for controlling
Adjective
In recent years, all of the major North American sports leagues have changed their ownership rules to permit specialist private equity funds to buy non-controlling stakes in their clubs under strict rules.
—Verb
Chicago’s police superintendent is once again on the cusp of gaining new teen curfew powers after aldermen advanced an ordinance yesterday aimed at controlling large youth gatherings.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for controlling
Adjective
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That premonition rings true when his parents (Tara Buckman, Geoff Hansen) are slaughtered by a carjacker dressed as Old Saint Nick himself (Charles Dierkop) just hours later, condemning the toddler into further moral compass trauma at an orphanage run by a domineering Mother Superior nun from Hell.—
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Orgon’s only ally is his domineering parade float of a mother, Madame Pernelle (the Bianca del Rio), who sails onto the stage in high dudgeon at the top of the play.—
Adjective
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You’re supposed to win when that happens … except that the two Dodgers starters, Shohei Ohtani and Blake Snell, were equally dominating.—
Verb
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Silk is known to have great temperature-regulating qualities, so these will lock in the heat during the winter and keep you cool in the summer.—
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That’s because our oceans play a key role in regulating the impact of global carbon emissions in our atmosphere—absorbing about 90% of the excess heat from planetary warming trapped by greenhouse gases over the past century.—
Verb
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This changed with the draining and containing of the Everglades and explosive growth and development that followed.—
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The changes saw Fielder do a much better job of containing Demirel, allowing the Broncos to fight back and take a 9-8 lead.—
Verb
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Smith maintained many of the gifts cited by Cannon fell under exceptions to the disclosure rules, including those governing charity event tickets and gifts for birthdays or holidays.—
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Or at least the craziest until Malinin began doing on ice back flips during the 2024-25 season after the International Skating Union, the sport’s global governing body, lifted a ban on the stunt.—
Verb
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Her mother accompanied her to appointments, managing logistics and providing emotional support.—
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Tina Olson, a managing attorney with the Juvenile Lifer Unit in the State Appellate Defender Office, says the decision doesn't minimize the crimes committed – or the victims impacted – but instead ensures defendants are given fair punishments.—
Adjective
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The grasping big toe also suggested this human relative spent more time in the trees.—
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The father, Fyodor Karamazov, is a grasping, lecherous, deceitful, and shameless widower.—
Adjective
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Among the dozens of books that have attempted to identify the forces that U.S. President Donald Trump rode to power, this is one of the most closely reported and cogent.—
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Auction has all the ingredients for a cogent social thriller, but never delivers enough in terms of conflict.—
Cite this Entry
“Controlling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controlling. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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