direction

noun

də-ˈrek-shən How to pronounce direction (audio)
Definition of directionnext
1
as in instruction
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned we were given very specific directions for the first part of the exam

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in management
the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something working under the close direction of the engineering supervisor

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle a life that seemed to lack any direction other than the mindless pursuit of empty pleasures

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in trend
a prevailing or general movement or inclination some older people worry about the overall direction that political discourse has taken lately

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 direction The Toyota sideswiped another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction and lost control, striking Bowling near 35th Avenue and Mangels Avenue, the Oakland police previously told PEOPLE. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026 Confronting unpredictable adversaries well-versed in asymmetrical warfare from three directions is a military planner’s nightmare. — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 After a mudslide delayed his arrival in a northern village, he got lost and asked a police officer for directions. — Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 And whether they were turned off by the changes in franchise direction with shows like Discovery or just wanted to see Patrick Stewart back in action, Paramount clearly thought this show would be almost universally beloved. — Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for direction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for direction
  1. instruction
  2. management
  3. compass
  4. trend
  5. order
  6. supervision
  7. tide
  8. edict
Noun
  • Lai was also seen donning a flak jacket, listening to briefings and issuing instructions during the drill.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Coinbase launched a new tool that will allow agents like ChatGPT or Claude to execute crypto trades using natural language instructions.
    — Tanaya Macheel, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of instruction
Noun
  • The banks maintain that their contracts give them broad authority to end customer relationships and that decisions may be driven by regulatory and risk-management obligations.
    — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • According to officials, the program began in 2001 with NDOW’s first Karelian bear dog, Stryker, making the agency one of the first in North America to use the breed for bear management.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of management
Noun
  • There’s a large analog central tachometer accompanied by physical toggle switches and an analog aviation style compass.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Naima was a Muslim convert who likely spun Coltrane’s compass toward non-Western cultures.
    — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of compass
Noun
  • There are consulting and data companies that publish on consumer beauty trends and charge for it.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 4 Aug. 2026
  • That was the continuation of a trend that has seen the Broncos sign 11 of their players to multiyear extensions since before the 2024 season.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of trend
Noun
  • Trump’s orders Thursday would sharply expand those exemptions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The mayor urged the board to leverage its full enforcement authority to issue the order, including maximum financial fines against Lineage.
    — Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of order
Noun
  • Control or supervision over the chokepoint has become just as much a red line for Tehran as the right to nuclear enrichment.
    — Todd Symons, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Plenty of building still belongs to specialists, including complex systems, security-sensitive applications, and anything going to customers without supervision.
    — Will Drover, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of supervision
Noun
  • Last week, the tides brought dangerous surf conditions to much of the coastline and damaged some of the protective measures put in place by cities.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • South Africa is building barricades against a global tide of digital dollars.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of tide
Noun
  • Those who oppose the Mexican Mafia, or fail to follow the edicts of the gang’s leaders, are often targeted for beatings or even death.
    — Sean Emery, Oc Register, 22 July 2026
  • Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse The highly agile Getty shooter Alan Crowhurst has done us a great favor by bringing concrete cloakroom evidence of the many social and administrative challenges that the (famous) Royal Ascot costume edicts require in order to be properly met.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Definition of edict

Browse Nearby Words

directing
direction
directionless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Direction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/direction. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on direction

Nglish: Translation of direction for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All