as in leaders
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
1
as in supervises
to be in charge of
she bossed that project for years, until she was promoted again
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in rules
to exercise authority or power over
bossed the entire job site for a year
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in leads
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 bosses
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Parents and bosses might be a tad righteous or overbearing.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
As budgets and headcounts continue to get slashed, the culling is coming from the bottom, leaving assistants to support not just one, but sometimes two or three bosses.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
In the comedy, Dale, along with his friends Nick Hendricks (Bateman) and Kurt Buckman (Sudeikis), plot to murder their overbearing, abusive bosses, portrayed by Aniston, Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
Which means your job is ostensibly to try to make people better bosses, right?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit noted that Fox News bosses criticized the network’s journalists for not considering the feelings of its pro-Trump audience following the election that sent Joe Biden to the White House.
—Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
In downtown Fort Worth, former employees slipped in to hug and chat with past colleagues and bosses, creating little emotional snippets mostly unseen by busy, preoccupied shoppers.
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
Even romantic relationships can’t fill the gap Rinne sees forming between employees and their bosses.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
First, movies are workplaces, and Nirenberg’s interviewees reveal the stressful negotiations involved in the daily life of filmmaking—not only with executives and producers but also with directors, who, though employed by those very same businesspeople, are also the immediate bosses of the crew.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Parents and bosses might be a tad righteous or overbearing.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
As budgets and headcounts continue to get slashed, the culling is coming from the bottom, leaving assistants to support not just one, but sometimes two or three bosses.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
In the comedy, Dale, along with his friends Nick Hendricks (Bateman) and Kurt Buckman (Sudeikis), plot to murder their overbearing, abusive bosses, portrayed by Aniston, Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
Which means your job is ostensibly to try to make people better bosses, right?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit noted that Fox News bosses criticized the network’s journalists for not considering the feelings of its pro-Trump audience following the election that sent Joe Biden to the White House.
—Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
In downtown Fort Worth, former employees slipped in to hug and chat with past colleagues and bosses, creating little emotional snippets mostly unseen by busy, preoccupied shoppers.
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
Even romantic relationships can’t fill the gap Rinne sees forming between employees and their bosses.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
Dano and Collette joined co-stars Abigail Breslin and Greg Kinnear and their director bosses Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris at the screening.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bosses
Noun
-
Gables leaders have raised concerns during city meetings about the potential impact.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
City leaders in Lake Dallas got more than an earful from residents who believe they were failed during a crisis in late March when a house explosion critically injured Jessica Bailey Lopez.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At Fordham University, hundreds of female students gather for Smart Women Securities meets to learn about analyzing equities and financial statements, according to Rosa Romeo, a Fordham accounting professor who supervises the group.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, the Minnesota State Patrol, which supervises security at the Capitol complex, had a more conservative estimate of around 100,000.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For noncustodial parents, these age rules only matter if Form 8332 is in place.—
Jenni Fink,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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Artemis is the daughter of Zeus, who rules over all of the other gods, and Leto, one of the goddesses of childhood.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Glendon Hall, who leads the Miami Beach Black Affairs Advisory Committee, criticized the police at the time.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The Islanders had one-goal leads after Gatcomb scored in the first and Shabanov in the second.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For years after that, TCU alums who had served as Ranch Week foremen or queen would proudly include it on resumes, in professional biographies or when running for office.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Michel now oversees Larkin’s graduate medical educational programs and is chairman of Larkin University, which is governed separately from the hospital, said Smith, the hospital’s attorney.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Georgia is one of just three states that oversees its ash disposal program, which environmentalists have long criticized.—
Kristi Swartz,
AJC.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Swalwell challenged the early-stage inquiry into his mortgage in part by citing the Privacy Act, which governs the release of identifying documents within the government and generally prevents their release without a person’s consent.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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The committee also planned to scrutinize whether the DOJ has complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which governs the review and release of records related to the case.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Because of his swing, Lincoln-Way Central’s Joey Vellenga commands attention.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Very Cherry reclaimed the crown in 2003 and has remained the top seller since, but Buttered Popcorn still commands a devoted following.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bosses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bosses. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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