Direct
Direct verb - To issue orders to (someone) by right of authority.
Usage example: our tour guide directed us to wait in front of the building until she could rejoin us
Manage is a synonym for direct in control topic. In some cases you can use "Manage" instead a verb "Direct", when it comes to topics like adjust, co-ordinate, administer, plan. popular alternative
Manage
Manage verb - To deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently.
Usage example: as usual, she managed the crisis with a minimum of fuss
Direct is a synonym for manage in be in charge of topic. You can use "Direct" instead a verb "Manage", if it concerns topics such as control, adjust, co-ordinate, plan. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
- Saddler also establishes that he has direct control over all his Mooks, so if any of them do manage to kill Ashley and utterly wreck his plan, it's his own stupid fault!
Source: Stupid Evil -
In one scene, Alucard casually demonstrates his superiority to all other vampires for Pip by sipping wine, sitting in direct sunlight, and traveling (by plane) over a moving body of water in the most pimptastic manner he can manage.
Source: Your Vampires Suck -
While the player has direct control over a number of "core planets," large empires will likely have parts of their territory separated into "administrative sectors." While the player can set the tax rate for each sector, they essentially manage their economies autonomously.
Source: Video Game / Stellaris
Cite this Source
Manage and Direct. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/direct/manage
Direct & Manage. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/direct/manage>.
Manage or Direct. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/direct/manage.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "direct" and "manage" have occurred on timeline