as in controlling
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as in ordering
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority
dictated that the terms of surrender be negotiated by his senior staff
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Recent Examples of dictating
Paul Taylor, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
The 23-year-old forward was the one with the ball in his hands, dictating actions, making decisions.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Fland also added 15 points and eight assists, playing a terrific floor game and dictating the action from the opening tip.
—Jim Root, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Never mind the long history of regulation dictating what goes on inside factories—emergency exits in clothing factories, cleanliness standards in meatpacking facilities, and so on.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
The district's cellphone policy also limits the use of tablets, laptops, wireless headphones and smart watches, dictating that devices must be turned off and put away during the school day.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The platform’s design respects both the professional’s expertise and the patient’s needs, creating a dynamic where technology supports care rather than dictating it.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Instead, Burt argued that policymakers must balance caution with humility and avoid dictating outcomes in a sector that is still young, leaving room for innovation within a sound regulatory framework.
—Anastasia Chernikova, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
And instead of dictating from the central office which books to recommend, Barnes & Noble now lets local booksellers suggest books to their customers, giving the stores a more personal touch, Flanigan said.
—Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Peaceful coexistence is the goal, and that’s not going to happen if one person is dictating what can and can’t happen in the neighborhood.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025
Adjective
And these players were initially signed to help Forest become a side capable of retaining more possession and dictating games.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
The 23-year-old forward was the one with the ball in his hands, dictating actions, making decisions.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
Those of us who would love to have agents and publishing houses dictating our next books feigned sympathy.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Fland also added 15 points and eight assists, playing a terrific floor game and dictating the action from the opening tip.
—Jim Root, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Never mind the long history of regulation dictating what goes on inside factories—emergency exits in clothing factories, cleanliness standards in meatpacking facilities, and so on.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
The district's cellphone policy also limits the use of tablets, laptops, wireless headphones and smart watches, dictating that devices must be turned off and put away during the school day.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The platform’s design respects both the professional’s expertise and the patient’s needs, creating a dynamic where technology supports care rather than dictating it.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Instead, Burt argued that policymakers must balance caution with humility and avoid dictating outcomes in a sector that is still young, leaving room for innovation within a sound regulatory framework.
—Anastasia Chernikova, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
And instead of dictating from the central office which books to recommend, Barnes & Noble now lets local booksellers suggest books to their customers, giving the stores a more personal touch, Flanigan said.
—Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Peaceful coexistence is the goal, and that’s not going to happen if one person is dictating what can and can’t happen in the neighborhood.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictating
Adjective
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The podcast paints Jordan as an increasingly controlling and abusive on-and-off-again boyfriend of Arceneaux's who at one point gave her three pages of rules to follow, like sharing social media passwords and her location.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
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Rousseau is a notoriously controlling and meticulous leader, obsessed with optics and strict about the physical fitness of his members.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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According to Grotewold, every table and bar seat was filled with people ordering multiple rounds of the normally $25 dish.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Invoking the Constitution and Scripture, the Texas district court judge wrote a scathing opinion ordering the release of 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father after the two were detained outside their home in Minneapolis in January.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The President demoted Greg Bovino, the commanding agent in charge of the roving patrols that have besieged Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minneapolis.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
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Arsenal have allowed their previously commanding lead to slip in recent weeks while Nottingham Forest and West Ham have both found form to boost their chances of avoiding relegation.—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bradwell had commemorated his onboarding by requesting a cube from Claudius—not of tungsten but of bevelled glass.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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The two climbers, 47 and 50 years old, were requesting assistance, saying they were incapacitated and unable to continue their route.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The brand’s bestsellers are pieces featuring auspicious symbols, including a soaring dragon atop a sacred leaf, imperial lanterns, and the gourd, a potent symbol of good fortune.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
12 Feb. 2026
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In Italy, academics like Ettore Romagnoli organized an authoritarian spectacle to celebrate two millennia of Horace, the priest Vittorio Genovesi wrote encomiums to Italian imperial ambitions in Rome’s Mare Nostrum, and the Latinist Luigi Illuminati who penned an epic dedicated to Il Duce.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In her remarks, academy President Lynette Howell Taylor acknowledged the questions many nominees have been asking themselves amid industry contraction, political volatility and global conflict.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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In addition to asking that the subpoena be quashed, Wexner sought a protective order that would have barred plaintiffs from questioning him in the case.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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He is paired with an arrogant young partner (Lou), a second-generation political scion whose personality clashes sharply with his own.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
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In the early years of his fame as a writer, Rushdie had something of a reputation for being prickly and arrogant, but Gibney’s portrait reveals a man mellowed by time and experience.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But despite some common ground between Democrats and Republicans on issues like mandating body cameras be worn and bringing an end to roving patrols, an agreement has remained elusive.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The Senate also passed legislation mandating locals cooperate with federal immigration efforts.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictating. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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