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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America’s stubborn division was reflected at the nation on the largest stage possible.—
Kevin Dolak,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Feb. 2025
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The telescope now named for her will help unravel the stubborn mystery surrounding it.—
Jeffrey Kluger/Greenbelt,
TIME,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For those unfamiliar with the Richard Linklater trilogy, the characters end up playing out their star signs perfectly: Scorpio (Jesse) is loyal to a fault, intensely romantic, dramatic, and even obsessive.—
Erika W. Smith,
Vogue,
11 Feb. 2025
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Addiction and obsessive behavior are other targets of microdosers, as the drugs seem to tame cravings for more than just food.—
Beth Landman,
The Hollywood Reporter,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Movano has thus far shown a dogged dedication to adhering to medical industry best practices and standards.—
Victoria Song,
The Verge,
7 Jan. 2025
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Apte does what the script requires as the dogged cop on his trial, even as Andrews has a bit of a more one-note role.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The state, through the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), mandates that health care facilities meet strict seismic safety standards.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
16 Feb. 2025
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Congress can revise eligibility for welfare benefits and impose stricter time limits, alleviating the cost to taxpayers and reducing incentives to enter the country illegally.—
Betsy McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The arbitration ruling is vindication of sorts for the buyers, who have been adamant over the past year that Taylor was delaying the inevitable.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
10 Feb. 2025
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Head coach Leon Rice was adamant his team would heat up from three, but the 3-point shooting remained spotty.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Feb. 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 22 Feb. 2025.
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