governing

verb

Definition of governingnext
present participle of govern
1
as in ruling
to exercise authority or power over the president is elected in order to govern the country, not to follow public opinion polls

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2
as in regulating
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) you need to govern your speech and be able to communicate your outrage without resorting to profanity

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in managing
to look after and make decisions about the company's finances are governed by its chief financial officer

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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 governing School district rules While California has some laws governing electric bicycles, school districts may have varying rules. — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Their families, educations, personalities, professional backgrounds, governing styles and political skills could not have been more different. — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Palau’s turn as host also comes as the summit’s leaders try once more to draw up a structure governing how other countries are permitted involvement in its meetings. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 Beyond that, each jurisdiction has its own rules governing use of the readers. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2026 In the last decade and a half, a carrousel of feuding political factions took turns governing, all inadequately. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 The City Council signed off on the measure in June, with the requirement that at least one other local governing body sign off, too. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The real issue is the terms and controls governing the service. — Marcin Nowak, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Jeffries calls for an end to the GOP’s ‘my-way-or-the-highway’ governing approach. — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for governing
  1. ruling
  2. regulating
  3. managing
  4. controlling
  5. containing
  6. operating
  7. curbing
  8. overseeing
Verb
  • Niger’s ruling junta survived its most serious internal challenge since the 2023 coup after renegade soldiers mutinied in Niamey and Russian Africa Corps fighters helped presidential guards retake a key airbase.
    — Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • After six months of war, Iran’s leadership has coalesced around a hard core of military generals and clerics long entrenched in the ruling theocracy.
    — Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of ruling
Verb
  • The sweet summer fruit is made of 92 percent water, an essential nutrient for regulating body temperature and supporting key processes in the body, notes Elick.
    — Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Comporta and Melides have their beach clubs and their destination dining, but strict laws regulating construction have for now prevented the kind of overdevelopment that can disrupt such an unspoiled place.
    — Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of regulating
Verb
  • Having a healthy lawn means managing soil conditions for the roots, mowing properly, and strengthening the density of the grass by overseeding.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Asked about their firm’s primary hurdle in managing the current trade landscape, the vast majority (57 percent) said policy uncertainty, like tariffs changing with little notice, as their foremost challenge.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of managing
Verb
  • The company has also said that controlling the chip, domain controller and underlying software stack could help reduce component costs as production volumes increase.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Japanese doctors have advised patients reporting rashes or difficulty controlling bowels after frequent use to stop until symptoms clear, per the AP.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of controlling
Verb
  • Screening electrons at nanoscale The researchers built a structure containing two twisted graphene bilayers separated by less than a nanometre.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Wayne picks Gregory up at a motel, in Mobile, Alabama, and hands him a briefcase containing, among other things, a gun.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of containing
Verb
  • Chaparral flew without a pilot onboard while operating under Air Traffic Control oversight, demonstrating its ability to conduct cargo missions within the National Airspace System.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
  • On Tuesday, Zelenskyy issued an ominous warning to airlines operating in Russia that the risks could continue.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of operating
Verb
  • Still, the pushback led Langley to announce a slew of measures aimed at curbing police misuse.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • What the settlement actually changes The design changes, such as curbing infinite scroll and autoplay, are the substantive core of the agreement.
    — Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of curbing
Verb
  • Ternus, 50, previously served as senior vice president of hardware engineering at Apple, overseeing the production of popular products such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Ajay Arora was hired this year as VP of product management, overseeing TV and sports experiences at YouTube, including YouTube TV and NFL Sunday Ticket.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of overseeing

Browse Nearby Words

governessy
governing
government
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Cite this Entry

“Governing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/governing. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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