CONTROL Synonyms: 219 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'control' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of control are authority , command , dominion , jurisdiction , power , and sway . While all these words mean "the right to govern or rule or determine," control stresses the power to direct and restrain. // you are responsible for the students under your control

Q: When can 'authority' be used instead of 'control'?

While in some cases nearly identical to control , authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits. // granted the authority to manage her estate

Q: In what contexts can 'command' take the place of 'control'?

The words command and control are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience. // the army officer in command

Q: When is 'dominion' a more appropriate choice than 'control'?

Although the words dominion and control have much in common, dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority. // given dominion over all the animals

Q: Where would 'jurisdiction' be a reasonable alternative to 'control'?

The meanings of jurisdiction and control largely overlap; however, jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits. // the bureau having jurisdiction over parks

Q: When would 'power' be a good substitute for 'control'?

In some situations, the words power and control are roughly equivalent. However, power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence. // the power to mold public opinion

Q: When might 'sway' be a better fit than 'control'?

While the synonyms sway and control are close in meaning, sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence. // the empire extended its sway over the region

control 1 of 2

noun

Definition of control next

as in power

the right or means to command or control others teachers are responsible for the students under their control

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in controller

a mechanism for adjusting the operation of a device, machine, or system the controls for the player are well marked

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in grasp

the ability to direct the course of something after the tail fell off, the plane went out of the pilot's control firefighters keeping control of the blaze

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in management

the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something control of manufacturing operations was given to a new manager with fresh ideas

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as in ownership

the fact or state of having (something) at one's disposal took control of the process of selecting candidates for the scholarship

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

control

2 of 2

verb

kən-ˈtrōl

as in to regulate

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) you must learn to control your temper

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to contain

to gain emotional or mental control of he controlled himself only with the greatest difficulty in the face of his opponent's insulting remarks

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to govern

to exercise authority or power over circumstances often control the choices we make in life

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to manage

to look after and make decisions about during the period that she controlled the company it was highly profitable

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun control contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of control are authority, command, dominion, jurisdiction, power, and sway. While all these words mean "the right to govern or rule or determine," control stresses the power to direct and restrain.

you are responsible for the students under your control

When can authority be used instead of control?

While in some cases nearly identical to control, authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits.

granted the authority to manage her estate

In what contexts can command take the place of control?

The words command and control are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience.

the army officer in command

When is dominion a more appropriate choice than control?

Although the words dominion and control have much in common, dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority.

given dominion over all the animals

Where would jurisdiction be a reasonable alternative to control?

The meanings of jurisdiction and control largely overlap; however, jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits.

the bureau having jurisdiction over parks

When would power be a good substitute for control?

In some situations, the words power and control are roughly equivalent. However, power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence.

the power to mold public opinion

When might sway be a better fit than control?

While the synonyms sway and control are close in meaning, sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence.

the empire extended its sway over the region

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 control

Noun

The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control. —

Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 3 July 2026 Beijing has exerted greater institutional control in Tibet since Xi Jinping became the country’s president in 2012. —

Reuters, NBC news, 3 July 2026

Verb

The control system receives information and controls the installations of these systems via the various programmable logic controllers (PLCs) distributed throughout the vessel – around ten on the Scorpène. —

Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026 Flights are expected to be disrupted and access to major cities tightly controlled. —

Emma Graham, CNBC, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for control

Recent Examples of Synonyms for control

Noun

Junior Caminero has already done some things no Rays players had ever accomplished, such as extending his sizzling power show on Friday to include hitting 10 home runs over a 10-game span.

— Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2026
Plus, the power port includes three electrical outlets and three USB ports for powering appliances, speakers, and other devices.

— Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026

Definition of power

Noun

The system is thousands of controllers short of full staffing.

— Joel Rose, NPR, 1 July 2026
Inside, more than 120 humanoids stand in neat rows, each performing a specific task repeatedly, from sorting packages or changing diapers to scooping popcorn, guided by human trainers with handheld controllers next to them.

— John Liu, CNN Money, 30 June 2026

Definition of controller

Noun

As a result, those at the entry level are expected to have a more mature grasp of these skills, according to PwC’s latest AI jobs report, which looked at more than a billion job ads across the globe.

— Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
With a goal in the 92nd minute of this match, and only roughly three minutes left in stoppage time, Canada can feel the round of 16 within its grasp.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 28 June 2026

Definition of grasp

Noun

Andrea Davis, president and CEO of The Resiliency Initiative, has spent 25 years planning emergency response and crisis management for organizations including Disney, Walmart, the FIFA World Cup and Times Square's New Year's Eve celebration.

— Bryan West, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Water management plans must include estimates of water usage, discharge locations and plans to minimize water demand.

— Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 July 2026

Definition of management

Verb

The clinical version dates to research in the 1960s and 1970s, when devices tracked heart rate variability, muscle tension and skin temperature to help people regulate what was once considered automatic.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 3 July 2026
The chronic disease, which impairs the body’s ability to properly regulate blood sugar, contributed to 94,445 deaths that year.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026

Definition of regulate

Verb

Just down the coast in Laguna Beach, a city that already had rules governing the size of canopies, officials took it a step further in May and limited the use of such shade structures to certain sections of beach.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
But the majority of Americans aren’t socialists and don’t wish to be governed by kissing cousins of Karl Marx and Kim Jong Un.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026