regulateverb [ T ]
uk/ˈreɡ.jə.leɪt/us/ˈreɡ.jə.leɪt/C1 to control something, especially by making it work in a particular way:
You can regulate the temperature in the house by adjusting the thermostat.
[ + question word ] Her mother strictly regulates how much TV she can watch.
More examples
- Police can invoke the law of trespass to regulate access to these places.
- This valve regulates the flow of water into the tank.
- The travel industry is regulated by a set of guidelines.
- The switch is used to regulate the speed at which the machine operates.
- The government has introduced new laws to regulate the sale of firearms.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Controlling and being in charge
- aggrandize
- assume
- assumption
- authoritative
- balance of power
- divide
- dominant
- have sb by the balls idiom
- have sb eating out of your hand idiom
- have sb in the palm of your hand idiom
- have sth in hand idiom
- have/hold the whip hand idiom
- heel
- hook
- preside over sth
- pull
- pull rank idiom
- pull the strings idiom
- putty
- rein
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