controlling 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of controllingnext
1
as in domineering

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2
as in dominating

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controlling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of control
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

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 controlling
Adjective
According to those close to the family, József was extremely controlling and would often make terrifying threats. — Maddie Garfinkle, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026 Instead of The Expanse’s sprawling epic of humanity’s journey to the stars, The Captive’s War sees humans brought under the thumb of a ruthlessly controlling alien empire and struggling to resist, build lives and maybe even find a way to win. — Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
John-Paul Miller was accused by his wife, Mica Miller, of abuse and controlling behavior during their relationship. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026 The measure would generally make the date of the federal disaster declaration—not the payment date—controlling in determining eligibility for qualifying wildfire payments. — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for controlling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for controlling
  1. domineering
  2. dominating
  3. regulating
  4. containing
  5. governing
  6. managing
  7. grasping
  8. cogent
Adjective
  • Will stars in the film as Phil Weston, an unremarkable family man who grew up under the thumb of his domineering dad, Buck (Robert Duvall).
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a little too farcical for the moment, and the final cut lands more in a place of domineering intrigue.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026
Definition of domineering
Adjective
  • You’re supposed to win when that happens … except that the two Dodgers starters, Shohei Ohtani and Blake Snell, were equally dominating.
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Definition of dominating
Verb
  • The sweet summer fruit is made of 92 percent water, an essential nutrient for regulating body temperature and supporting key processes in the body, notes Elick.
    — Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Comporta and Melides have their beach clubs and their destination dining, but strict laws regulating construction have for now prevented the kind of overdevelopment that can disrupt such an unspoiled place.
    — Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of regulating
Verb
  • Pricing Happy Head’s topical solution is billed on a monthly basis, with a single bottle containing two ounces of treatment solution.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Mass spectrometry revealed that the broken containers had once held something containing the chemical compounds theobromine, theophylline, caffeine, and paraxanthine.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of containing
Verb
  • School district rules While California has some laws governing electric bicycles, school districts may have varying rules.
    — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Their families, educations, personalities, professional backgrounds, governing styles and political skills could not have been more different.
    — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of governing
Verb
  • Investors are also betting on a future DeepSeek listing in the mainland, said Wayne Shiong, managing partner at Argo Venture Partners, as the startup risks an exodus of senior engineers without financial incentives to stay.
    — Anniek Bao,Elaine Yu, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In addition to managing facilities, his other priorities include enacting policies or resources to ensure students are successful beyond graduation and focusing on student mental health and well-being.
    — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of managing
Adjective
  • My hope is tenuous, grasping; scar tissue from 108 years of futility is never fully salved.
    — Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
  • In this war lawyers invariably are depicted as soulless and grasping ambulance-chasers unconcerned about their clients’ welfare, and businesses as, well, soulless, grasping and unconcerned about their customers.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Definition of grasping
Adjective
  • Davis’ ability to reflect and respond with his pithy probing of the disagreeing chord turned chaos into something cogent.
    — Steven D. Reske, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
  • DeMaio has built his own particularly cogent political organization in San Diego Republican circles, according to previous reporting by CalMatters.
    — Andrew Graham May 15, Sacbee.com, 16 May 2026
Definition of cogent

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controllers
controlling
controls
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Cite this Entry

“Controlling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/controlling. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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