manage up

verb

To calculate one's interactions with someone above oneself in a hierarchy (often one's own manager) so as to try to guide them into choosing a certain option (narrow scope) or to guide them into doing a better job at their leadership of their subordinates (broader scope).

“She felt compelled to manage up because her boss seemed to be missing the significance of the risk.”

Opposite
managemanage down
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Meanings

verbmanage up (third-person singular simple present manages up, present participle managing up, simple past and past participle managed up)

present singular third person manages up · participle present managing up · participle past managed up · past managed up

  1. intransitiveTo calculate one's interactions with someone above oneself in a hierarchy (often one's own manager) so as to try to guide them into choosing a certain option (narrow scope) or to guide them into doing a better job at their leadership of their subordinates (broader scope).

    She felt compelled to manage up because her boss seemed to be missing the significance of the risk.

    Antonyms: manage, manage down

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo calculate one's interactions with someone above oneself in a hierarchy (often one's own manager) so as to try to guide them into choosing a certain option (narrow scope) or to guide them into doing a better job at their leadership of their subordinates (broader scope).

Opposite
managemanage down
Cite this entry
APA

manage up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/manage%20up

MLA

“manage up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/manage%20up. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “manage up,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/manage%20up.

Source: manage up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.