GOVERNING Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

governing

verb

Definition of governing

present participle of govern

as in ruling

to exercise authority or power over the president is elected in order to govern the country, not to follow public opinion polls

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in regulating

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) you need to govern your speech and be able to communicate your outrage without resorting to profanity

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in managing

to look after and make decisions about the company's finances are governed by its chief financial officer

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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 governing 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 Palau’s turn as host also comes as the summit’s leaders try once more to draw up a structure governing how other countries are permitted involvement in its meetings. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 Beyond that, each jurisdiction has its own rules governing use of the readers. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2026 In the last decade and a half, a carrousel of feuding political factions took turns governing, all inadequately. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 The City Council signed off on the measure in June, with the requirement that at least one other local governing body sign off, too. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The real issue is the terms and controls governing the service. — Marcin Nowak, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Jeffries calls for an end to the GOP’s ‘my-way-or-the-highway’ governing approach. — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for governing

Verb

Niger’s ruling junta survived its most serious internal challenge since the 2023 coup after renegade soldiers mutinied in Niamey and Russian Africa Corps fighters helped presidential guards retake a key airbase.

— Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
After six months of war, Iran’s leadership has coalesced around a hard core of military generals and clerics long entrenched in the ruling theocracy.

— Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruling

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

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

Verb

The company has also said that controlling the chip, domain controller and underlying software stack could help reduce component costs as production volumes increase.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Japanese doctors have advised patients reporting rashes or difficulty controlling bowels after frequent use to stop until symptoms clear, per the AP.

— Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of controlling

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

One of the most striking details in Samsung's latest earnings report is that its operating profit significantly exceeded market expectations.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
The command also released a video clip featuring images of military working dogs operating alongside US personnel at locations across the Middle East.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of operating

Verb

Still, the pushback led Langley to announce a slew of measures aimed at curbing police misuse.

— Christopher Cann, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
What the settlement actually changes The design changes, such as curbing infinite scroll and autoplay, are the substantive core of the agreement.

— Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of curbing

Verb

Parker brings more than two decades of experience producing and overseeing film and television projects across all genres.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
The Kansas City Immigration Court tries to have at least seven judges overseeing cases, Sharma-Crawford said.

— Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of overseeing

Browse Nearby Words

governessy

governing

government

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Cite this Entry

Style

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

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Synonyms of governing

verb

Example Sentences

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