1
as in rules
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
Relevance
2
as in regulates
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in operates
to look after and make decisions about
the company's finances are governed by its chief financial officer
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of governs
In the order of operations that now governs Silicon Valley — and increasingly the world — speed to success was the only metric that mattered.
—
Big Think, 1 May 2026
The league’s collective bargaining agreement strictly governs rookie contracts, from structure to value.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The hormone then travels to the locus coeruleus, a cluster of neurons in the brainstem that governs arousal.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2026
The organizations argued that in reconstituting a federal vaccine advisory committee and changing the childhood vaccine schedule, Kennedy’s health department violated the Administrative Procedures Act, which governs how federal agencies consider and implement policy changes.
—Anil Oza, STAT, 29 Apr. 2026
OpenAI maintained that a nonprofit still governs its mission.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Apr. 2026
Instead, the president governs by executive orders, emergency decrees, and extortionate transactions, using his power to reward his friends and punish his enemies.
—Gregg Nunziata, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
The technocrats, many of whom are career officials from the Palestinian Authority that governs parts of the occupied West Bank, have instead spent their time in meetings, making policy plans for their eventual return to the Gaza Strip and its mounting humanitarian challenges.
—Matt Bradley, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
Copyright policy governs access to all forms of media and determines how knowledge is constructed and shared.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
Big Think, 1 May 2026
The league’s collective bargaining agreement strictly governs rookie contracts, from structure to value.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The hormone then travels to the locus coeruleus, a cluster of neurons in the brainstem that governs arousal.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2026
The organizations argued that in reconstituting a federal vaccine advisory committee and changing the childhood vaccine schedule, Kennedy’s health department violated the Administrative Procedures Act, which governs how federal agencies consider and implement policy changes.
—Anil Oza, STAT, 29 Apr. 2026
OpenAI maintained that a nonprofit still governs its mission.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Apr. 2026
Instead, the president governs by executive orders, emergency decrees, and extortionate transactions, using his power to reward his friends and punish his enemies.
—Gregg Nunziata, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
The technocrats, many of whom are career officials from the Palestinian Authority that governs parts of the occupied West Bank, have instead spent their time in meetings, making policy plans for their eventual return to the Gaza Strip and its mounting humanitarian challenges.
—Matt Bradley, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
Copyright policy governs access to all forms of media and determines how knowledge is constructed and shared.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for governs
Verb
-
If the court rules in favor of Musk, OpenAI’s rivals would be emboldened to take the lead in the AI race.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Scorpio rules shared resources and mutual debts—not just financial, but emotional.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Layered moisture management technology regulates temperature and wicks away moisture, and down alternative gives it just the right plushness for your preference in soft, medium, and firm varieties.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
26 Apr. 2026
-
While the Federal Aviation Administration regulates airspace, local governments control land use, giving Cobb County the final say on whether the drone hub could be built at that specific site.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As Zhou explained, the micromotor operates autonomously rather than remaining fixed in place.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
-
That’s in addition to his private ambulance and paramedic service, which generates roughly $270,000 annually and operates out of his home in Newcastle-under-Lyme, England.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On a Back Porch offers a bite-size portion (or perhaps a better analogy would be a beer flight) of what the Dead’s vault contains.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The bathroom is accessed from the kitchen via a pocket door and contains a shower (with a curtain or optional glass enclosure), a sink, and a choice of flushing, composting, or incinerating toilet, plus a washer/dryer.—
Adam Williams
April 25,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Chinese government officially recognizes five religions — Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Islam — and tightly supervises them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The group recruits, trains and supervises volunteers who represent children in the foster care system in juvenile courts, according to its website.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Stadiums are notorious for their lack of multiplier impact, which is one reason these days why sports team owners, such as the McCaskey family that controls the Bears, have such a hard time hoodwinking governments into giving them direct subsidies to build their stadiums.—
David Greising,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The divisions underscore the West’s challenges in combating China; following decades of building up its supply chains, Beijing now controls 90% of global processing.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cacioppo—who taught herself to code from books before writing Vanta’s first prototype—now oversees roughly 1,000 employees.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Volunteers from local neigborhood watch group Shomrim were on the scene quickly, Rabbi Herschel Gluck, who oversees a nearby branch of the organization, told CNN.—
Jomana Karadsheh,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After three verse-chorus repetitions, the quartet stop the song cold and set off in a new direction, churning out pure noise even as drummer Steve Shelley keeps everyone anchored.—
Stephen M. Deusner,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In comparable territory, The Outsiders keeps things earnest, and even Stranger Things, for all its loopiness, plays its baby-monster antihero story tragic and straight.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Governs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/governs. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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