as in leader
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do
every morning the boss hands out a list of top-priority tasks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
slang
as in excellent
of the very best kind
that's a really boss stereo you've got
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to supervise
to be in charge of
she bossed that project for years, until she was promoted again
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to rule
to exercise authority or power over
bossed the entire job site for a year
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to lead
to serve as leader of
bossed the entire gang of electricians on the construction project
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of boss
Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Players have to create teams that exploit a boss’ weakness in order to defeat them, and that means building up characters that have the right elemental affinities.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2025
This excludes things like putting in legendaries for end of mission rewards or taking them out of non-boss chests.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2021
Essence, 30 Dec. 2025
He is getting bossed around by grandma throughout the entire movie.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boss
Noun
The 23-count indictment accused them of conspiring to pad McCluskie’s salary by siphoning $225,000 in campaign funds from his boss, former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, after Becerra joined the Biden administration as a Cabinet official and McCluskie became his chief of staff.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Players have to create teams that exploit a boss’ weakness in order to defeat them, and that means building up characters that have the right elemental affinities.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
That’s basically the boss level of the shopping game—and usually requires hours of research.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2025
This excludes things like putting in legendaries for end of mission rewards or taking them out of non-boss chests.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2021
Verb
Throughout her career, Beyoncé has taken every opportunity to boss up and better her craft, keeping her razor-sharp talent and intention at the forefront of each decision].
—Essence, 30 Dec. 2025
He is getting bossed around by grandma throughout the entire movie.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boss
Noun
-
The series of attacks comes after Israel killed Larijani, the head of the country’s Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, the leader of a powerful militia aligned with the IRGC, in deadly airstrikes on Tuesday.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
-
As the current supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has stayed out of the spotlight amid speculation he was injured by a strike, Larijani was largely seen as in command of the country since the former ayatollah’s death.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Its keyboard and trackpad are mostly as excellent as those on a MacBook Air, only smaller.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
-
These cabins are located amongst the splendor of the Badlands National Park; expect to wake up surrounded by nature and excellent views.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The film now joins the Criterion Collection in a new digital restoration supervised by Littman.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Minnesota’s healthcare system is supervised by the state but delivered at the local level by the state’s 87 counties.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But no one can rule the Rams out after Thursday’s absolute banger.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Grapevine run rules Argyle behind Luke Esquivel Luke Esquivel allowed one hit over six innings and fanned 12 as Grapevine defeated Argyle 13-0 in a run-rule shortened District 6-5A game on Friday at Argyle High School.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine activist before becoming the nation's top health official, fired the entire 17-member panel last year and replaced it with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Hernandez’s homer was his third of the spring and gives him a team-leading 15 RBIs in Cactus League play.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Just days into construction, their foreman called to report finding human bones in the ground.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Place, a foreman and driver for Camelback Moving, asked the guard what was happening.—
Sydney Page The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
View this post on Instagram Palou, who finished second, described the pass by Kirkwood as awesome.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
So it's been a really awesome thing.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cossey will lead the district’s technology services team and oversee systems that support instruction, communication, data security, and operational efficiency across the district, according to the news release.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
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The wait times and pay changes are a result of a partial shutdown that began in mid-February after Congress failed to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees TSA.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boss. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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