as in to order
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority
dictated that the terms of surrender be negotiated by his senior staff
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in order
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned
a starchily worded dictate from on high concerning the company's dress code
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dictate
Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Sportsbooks have in-house experts who set odds that dictate payouts for winning bets.
—Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Local control ensures that voting reflects the needs of the community, not the dictates of a federal bureaucracy.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictate
Verb
To secure three points, Orlando must strike early and prevent Miami from dictating the tempo.
—Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Sportsbooks have in-house experts who set odds that dictate payouts for winning bets.
—Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
Beloved ’s revenant defies the dictates of realism according to which a character is a bounded individual.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Local control ensures that voting reflects the needs of the community, not the dictates of a federal bureaucracy.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictate
Verb
-
Rybochkin said that the unit’s chief engineer had ordered it.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
He was ordered held without bail at his arraignment Saturday at Manhattan Criminal Court.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Gukesh’s calm at the board was buttressed by an unusual focus in his training, on psychology, alongside the more traditional tactical and strategic instruction.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Start with a fertilizer program of once in March, May and October using an 8-0-12-4Mg for palms developed by the University of Florida following label instructions.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Storms' former spouse, who first filed the restraining order in December, is also requesting that the Disney Channel alum undergo a mental health evaluation, People reports.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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Neither the defense nor the prosecution requested such an order; Dawkins issued it on her own initiative.—
Jamie Kalven,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The team asked people to memorize locations on a graph while smelling the scent of rose.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
-
At one point, Iran asked to move its games to Mexico, but that request was rejected.—
Anne M. Peterson,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
While many edicts are necessary to protect public safety, many more are redundant, wasteful and anti-competitive, piling on unnecessary costs and stymieing innovation.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
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But that edict died with him, Vaez said.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Companies are required, under threat of criminal penalties, to bring new information to the government’s attention.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Human oversight remains part of the workflow through integration with Robotic Security Operations Center, where remote analysts monitor activity, verify alerts, and direct responses when required, ensuring continuous supervision alongside autonomous functions, reports Electrek.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Sixers’ Nick Nurse is widely believed to be under pressure too, meaning Sunday’s loss to Boston, which put them in a 3-1 hole, qualifies as a step in the wrong direction.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
As the Moon moves through your 11th House of Friends, collaboration brings fresh direction.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Pentagon In a letter sent to the GAO in March, Merkley and the other lawmakers alleged the DOJ did not comply with the law's directive to protect victims while releasing the Epstein files.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
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Their directive is 100 percent positivity — pure Paula Abdul energy, without a grain of Simon salt in any of their shakers.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictate. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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