as in stubborn
extremely or overly neat, careful, or precise
My anal-retentive brother keeps records of everything that happens in his life.
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Recent Examples of anal-retentive
But there would be no grease-drinking, Judas-playing Sandy without his anal-retentive best friend, Reuben Feffer.
—
Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
Conventional management practices suppress everything that isn’t vine by mowing, tilling, and spraying herbicide with an intensity that ranges from anal-retentive to paranoid.
—Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2024
One might be forgiven for also thinking that the identification is not so much between the audience and the killer as between Fincher, who is known as something of a filmmaking fusspot, and his anal-retentive central character.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
Conventional management practices suppress everything that isn’t vine by mowing, tilling, and spraying herbicide with an intensity that ranges from anal-retentive to paranoid.
—Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2024
One might be forgiven for also thinking that the identification is not so much between the audience and the killer as between Fincher, who is known as something of a filmmaking fusspot, and his anal-retentive central character.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anal-retentive
Adjective
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The stubborn machine has won, and politicians are, for the most part, just fodder, which means that every politician who has to stand in front of a camera after a tragedy turns into another battle site in an endless culture war.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
The New Yorker,
16 Jan. 2025
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Coaches will tell you of a character who could be grumpy or stubborn, but also of someone who needed faith shown in him.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
The Athletic,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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While micromanagement is typically associated with excessive and obsessive involvement in employees' tasks, Gallup research reveals that the issue is not too much involvement, but rather too little.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
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The story of Captain Ahab’s obsessive quest to take revenge on the white whale who bit off his leg is an American classic and has been read in countless classrooms since its publication in 1851.—
Julia Binswanger,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The bottom line Finally, a string of good news for bulls, after a dismal start of the year during which markets posted weekly losses because of dogged inflation worries.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
16 Jan. 2025
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So what has triggered Trump's dogged pursuit of Greenland, and why again now?—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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His remarkable physique is a testament to that strict regimen.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
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This story incorporates reporting from KNOE, The Sun, ABC Columbia and Local 12 WKRC Cincinnati. Spirit Airlines has revised its policies to enforce a stricter dress code for passengers.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In an interview days before Trump’s inauguration, Rosenworcel is adamant that regulation is part of the answer to America’s telecom security crisis.—
Eric Geller,
WIRED,
17 Jan. 2025
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David Poole is adamant that the sales team is always upfront about the risks as well as upsides of investing.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
17 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near anal-retentive
Cite this Entry
“Anal-retentive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anal-retentive. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
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