as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
the younger children in the family were controlled by a domineering older sister
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Recent Examples of domineering
Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Joseph has a cruel and domineering air about him.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 Apr. 2026
The rest of the starry cast is announced, including two-time Oscar nominee Colman Domingo as Michael’s domineering father Joe Jackson; Nia Long as his mother, Katherine, and Miles Teller as his longtime attorney John Branca, who also serves as a producer on the film.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 25 Apr. 2026
The Jackson Five find success; then, in the late seventies, the adult Michael (played, with extraordinary flair, by Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s real-life nephew) seeks a solo career—and confronts Joe’s domineering maneuvers.
—Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for domineering
Adjective
Weisberger famously served as a junior assistant for Anna Wintour, who is the inspiration behind Meryl Streep's domineering character of Miranda Priestly.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Joseph has a cruel and domineering air about him.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 Apr. 2026
The rest of the starry cast is announced, including two-time Oscar nominee Colman Domingo as Michael’s domineering father Joe Jackson; Nia Long as his mother, Katherine, and Miles Teller as his longtime attorney John Branca, who also serves as a producer on the film.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 25 Apr. 2026
The Jackson Five find success; then, in the late seventies, the adult Michael (played, with extraordinary flair, by Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s real-life nephew) seeks a solo career—and confronts Joe’s domineering maneuvers.
—Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for domineering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for domineering
Adjective
-
The show, which featured a sizzling performance by Walton Goggins, as an authoritarian vigilante, was an avant-garde breakthrough for television.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
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Given the authoritarian nature of the government and its control of the media, the full, brutal extent of these crackdowns are never seen by those inside the country, much less by foreigners.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The fourteenth installment of the Disruptor 50 showcases the trends that are dominating the market and the increasing focus on AI across the economy.—
Julia Boorstin,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
-
The goal is to really get to know these voters and how the issues dominating the national political conversation are playing out in their daily lives.—
Tamara Keith,
NPR,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
The tricky part of being a celebrity like Firstman on the internet is that some people can conflate your comedic persona (which is maybe a little arrogant, a little colorful) with your real identity.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
-
Hunter is stubborn, arrogant and gifted enough to play for the Briar hockey team, yet refuses to for reasons the show has yet to reveal.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
But the class divisions already dictating almost every aspect of higher education—from admissions to funding to reputation—will likely deepen.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
-
Marseille’s bouillabaisse follows a 1980 charter dictating which fish can go in the pot.—
Lauren Schuster,
Kansas City Star,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
As the overbearing Barone family matriarch, Doris Roberts was the queen of laughs, doting on her sons, berating her two daughters-in-law and bickering with her husband.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
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Jed’s world is comfortable, though Clare can never quite shed her fish-out-of-water feeling, and Jed’s overbearing mom seems to take pleasure in making sure Clare remains uncomfortable.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Israel has been grievously oppressing people in its area who are not Jewish.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
-
Underlying such obvious acts of aggression lies an insidious tendency for transnational repression to flow from despots into democracies, oppressing lawyers of all nationalities in the process.—
Irwin Cotler,
Time,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Running Furrever Friends is Brandi (Amy Sedaris), a bossy little Shih Tzu, and her owner, Seth (Gil Ozeri).—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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The shark is a pleasing stand-in for a big bossy grownup, easily fooled.—
Elise Broach,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Gone was the meek servant child, replaced by a confident woman who remained composed during aggressive cross-examination.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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The new reality finds those legacy players, with the single exception of Disney, playing defense as tech’s flywheel spins faster, and their pursuit of TV ad dollars becomes even more aggressive.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Domineering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/domineering. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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