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
-
Inflation is stubborn, unemployment is rising and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has even confirmed that Gen Z grads just can’t get a break right now.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
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Clean With Vinegar And Dish Soap Dish soap cuts through grease and grime to make removing stubborn dirt easier.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Paxton’s interest in Paul’s plight was bizarre, obsessive and so far beyond normal operations at the attorney general’s office that the agency’s top officials struggled to convey their concerns during the hourslong meeting with two FBI agents.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Although Harold is not literary fiction’s first obsessive ruminator, what makes Muscle Man feel so plugged into the moment is how common the predicament feels.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern were cast as the bumbling but dogged bandits, Harry and Marv, and Catherine O’Hara brought humor and compassion to the part of Kevin’s mother.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
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Mirren leads The Thursday Murder Club as Elizabeth Best, a former spy and dogged investigator.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Sulfide electrolytes fall apart when exposed to humidity, demanding strict atmospheric controls during manufacturing.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Sep. 2025
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Another 22% want innovation with strict risk controls.—
Lawrence Wintermeyer,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But while much of record labels’ promotional efforts have shifted to platforms including TikTok, Shinedown has remained adamant about the importance of terrestrial radio.—
Glenn Peoples,
Billboard,
18 Sep. 2025
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In a 24/7 news cycle, Hemmer is adamant about balancing urgency with accuracy.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anal-retentive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anal-retentive. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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