as in stubborn
extremely or overly neat, careful, or precise
My anal-retentive brother keeps records of everything that happens in his life.
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Recent Examples of anal-retentive
But there would be no grease-drinking, Judas-playing Sandy without his anal-retentive best friend, Reuben Feffer.
—
Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
Conventional management practices suppress everything that isn’t vine by mowing, tilling, and spraying herbicide with an intensity that ranges from anal-retentive to paranoid.
—Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2024
One might be forgiven for also thinking that the identification is not so much between the audience and the killer as between Fincher, who is known as something of a filmmaking fusspot, and his anal-retentive central character.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
Conventional management practices suppress everything that isn’t vine by mowing, tilling, and spraying herbicide with an intensity that ranges from anal-retentive to paranoid.
—Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2024
One might be forgiven for also thinking that the identification is not so much between the audience and the killer as between Fincher, who is known as something of a filmmaking fusspot, and his anal-retentive central character.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anal-retentive
Adjective
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If that doesn’t solve the problem, try scrubbing stubborn spots with Bar Keeper’s Friend and a nonabrasive sponge.—
Jessica Elliott,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Rusk recommends using wash and styling products that don’t contain silicones (like dimethicone), which can cause a stubborn coating to accumulate that clogs follicles on the scalp and prevents the hair from absorbing moisturizing ingredients.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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However, Robbie’s performance keeps Cathy’s childish nature intact with many obsessive outbursts.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Brontë’s story is about revenge, obsessive love and social class.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There, Sweetpea puts her dogged investigation skills to use and returns with proof hard enough to save SternTao from ruin.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Everton’s biggest result of the season — December’s 1-0 victory over Chelsea which ended their historic 34-game unbeaten WSL run — was down to resilient and dogged defending.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Freezer operations typically require specialized protective gear, shorter shifts, and strict exposure limits, all of which drive higher labor costs.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
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Places like Los Angeles and Oakland have high permit fees and strict zoning that often confines cans to industrial areas.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Norma Padgett Upshaw, who remained adamant that the four men were the ones involved in her assault, died in 2024.—
News Service Of Florida,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Suleyman’s vision for Microsoft Suleyman is adamant about the technology’s potential.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anal-retentive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anal-retentive. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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