boss 1 of 3

noun

ˈbȯs How to pronounce boss (audio)
Definition of bossnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

boss

2 of 3

adjective

ˈbȯs How to pronounce boss (audio)
slang
as in excellent
of the very best kind that's a really boss stereo you've got

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

boss

3 of 3

verb

ˈbȯs How to pronounce boss (audio)
1
as in to supervise
to be in charge of she bossed that project for years, until she was promoted again

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2
as in to rule
to exercise authority or power over bossed the entire job site for a year

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3
as in to lead
to serve as leader of bossed the entire gang of electricians on the construction project

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 boss
Noun
Jeep Europe boss Xavier Peugeot (yes relation) indicated such a model wouldn’t emerge until 2030 at the earliest. — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 15 Oct. 2026 Both Chun-Li and her boss have ulterior motives, Bison seeking to exploit the fighters’ powers for his own nefarious end and Chun-Li secretly an Interpol agent seeking to take Bison down for having murdered her father. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 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
No harm, no foul — as long as the commission bosses back the changes, Zelden said. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026 Be ready to boss up and take dominion of situations that are seemingly out of your control (but won’t be for long) to help attain a sense of security. — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for boss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boss
  1. leader
  2. excellent
  3. supervise
  4. rule
  5. lead
  6. foreman
  7. awesome
  8. oversee
Noun
  • Kabila's new Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, or FRN, includes rebel groups formerly united under the Congo River Alliance, whose former leader Corneille Nangaa will serve as one of the new coalition's two vice presidents.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • When even the CEOs of the companies leading the AI race warn of the risk of potentially losing control of their own technology, the need for leaders who approach its adoption with caution, accountability, and sound judgement has never been so clear.
    — Rumman Chowdhury, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of leader
Adjective
  • Williams aims to help build a county government that works for everyday people by lowering the cost of living, delivering excellent county services and protecting fundamental rights.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Nikko Remigio’s reputation as a return man isn’t splashy plays, but rather excellent ball security.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of excellent
Verb
  • Fisker Automotive said that an internal investigation supervised by transportation regulators found salt corrosion had caused a short circuit in the battery, leading to the fire, rather than a preexisting defect.
    — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Moton discussed it and his future with numerous people, including his family and Panthers team doctor Nancy Gritter, who supervised much of his care.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of supervise
Verb
  • Prosecutors can seek the death penalty in the case of a Miami-Dade man accused of having a witness killed for cooperating with the government, an appeals court has ruled.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The court ruled that the department lacked authority to collect state voter files, compare them with federal citizenship databases and use those comparisons to press states to remove voters deemed potentially ineligible.
    — Thom Reilly, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of rule
Verb
  • Yet Tajul Islam Abdul Bari, who led immunization in Bangladesh until 2017, said campaigns usually demand months of planning.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI has reportedly floated the idea of giving the government up to a 5% stake in the company and suggested other leading AI companies do the same.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of lead
Noun
  • Rooms in the back of the second and third floors had mahogany window frames that peered into the main space, allowing a foreman to supervise workers.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The Nepal Electricity Authority named the two men who were rescued alive as 30-year-old Sanjay Sah, a mechanical foreman from Saptari district in eastern Nepal, and Kabir Maharjan, 45, a mechanical supervisor from Kathmandu.
    — Bhadra Sharma, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of foreman
Adjective
  • With all of the breaks in action and the partnerships, live betting provides you with awesome opportunities to place in-game wagers.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Life is a combination of spending time with the difficult ones, the indifferent ones and the awesome ones among them.
    — Vinesh Sukumaran, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of awesome
Verb
  • The list of senior executives did not answer the question of who would oversee the old Paramount and Warner Bros.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Florida has the nation’s busiest death chamber DeSantis, who leaves office in January, oversaw 19 executions in 2025, more than any other Florida governor in a single year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
    — David Fischer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of oversee

Phrases Containing boss

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bosquets
boss
boss (around)
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Cite this Entry

“Boss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boss. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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