as in controlled
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in ruled
to exercise authority or power over
the president is elected in order to govern the country, not to follow public opinion polls
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in regulated
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 operated
to look after and make decisions about
the company's finances are governed by its chief financial officer
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Recent Examples of governed
Sean Nathaniel, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Rocha Moya, a member of the Sheinbaum's left-leaning Morena party and close ally of her predecessor, has governed the violent state since 2021.
—CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
It’s governed by two opposing signals in the hypothalamus.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
After a term in office, he’s governed as promised.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
Your submission will be governed by our general Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
In 2019, OpenAI restructured as a for-profit unit governed by the nonprofit.
—Deepa Seetharaman, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
The organization is governed by its Supervisory Board, which is composed of representatives of national publishers’ associations and senior executives of media companies.
—Marlen Bartsch, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
The separatist movement dates back to the early 1960s, when the British Southern Cameroons, a United Nations trust territory previously governed as part of Nigeria’s eastern region, was joined with Cameroon.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
But done intelligently, archiving ensures that all data, whether active or dormant, remains accessible, governed and usable.
—Sean Nathaniel, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
Much of Venezuela’s gold production originates in the Orinoco Mining Arc, a vast and sparsely governed region in the south where state control is limited.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Rocha Moya, a member of the Sheinbaum's left-leaning Morena party and close ally of her predecessor, has governed the violent state since 2021.
—CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
It’s governed by two opposing signals in the hypothalamus.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
After a term in office, he’s governed as promised.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
Your submission will be governed by our general Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
In 2019, OpenAI restructured as a for-profit unit governed by the nonprofit.
—Deepa Seetharaman, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
The organization is governed by its Supervisory Board, which is composed of representatives of national publishers’ associations and senior executives of media companies.
—Marlen Bartsch, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
The separatist movement dates back to the early 1960s, when the British Southern Cameroons, a United Nations trust territory previously governed as part of Nigeria’s eastern region, was joined with Cameroon.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for governed
Adjective
-
Too bad the script feels less controlled and more directionless when each of these characters go head to head with an increasing body count across several bloody incidents.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Once the legs are free, slow and controlled motions can help a person gradually reach firmer ground.—
Outside,
Outside,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the first inning on April 18, Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo challenged an 0-1 splitter that the umpire ruled a ball.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Premier Giorgia Meloni’s government made the decision after an Italian court ruled this month that Xu Zewei could be extradited, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity.—
Donato Paolo Mancini,
Bloomberg,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
They’re regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to ensure proper safeguards are in place to prevent microscopic cement particles from causing health problems in nearby residents.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The president did not legalize psychedelics or weed, but his orders change the way these drugs will be regulated.—
O. Rose Broderick,
STAT,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The last time three carriers operated in the CENTCOM area of responsibility was back in 2003.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The facility will be operated by the for-profit prison company GEO Group, which has held a contract with ICE for the site and two other Central Valley detention centers since 2019.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The authors argued that the typical American diet contained excessive calories and fat and lacked sufficient amounts of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Burick and one of his students assemble the base for one of ENIAC’s three portable function tables, which contained banks of switches that stored numerical constants.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cleveland had the lead and the ball in the final 20 seconds of overtime and still managed to lose 112-110.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
2 May 2026
-
Despite missiles flying overhead — and occasionally falling on Syrian territory — Syria managed to stay on the sidelines and positioned itself as an alternative transport route for oil exports that could no longer be sent through the strait.—
Abby Sewell,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Lawyers and doctors can lose their licenses to practice, insider traders can be barred from the financial industry, public officials stripped of committee assignments, and dangerous speeding drivers should have their bad habit curbed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Sirota said Medicaid and HCPF staff worked to give legislators information on where costs were increasing and how those costs could be curbed.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At Surfside, the different beach areas are cleaned daily and supervised by lifeguards.—
Kara Williams,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Alvarez could face up to 20 years in prison, supervised release of at least five years to a lifetime, and a fine of up to $250,000.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Governed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/governed. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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