chief of naval operations
noun phrase
: the ranking officer of the navy and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Examples of chief of naval operations in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Navy declined to invite USA TODAY to a news briefing with the chief of naval operations and barred its reporter from entering.
—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Since taking the helm at the Pentagon, Hegseth has fired more than a dozen senior military officers, including the Air Force vice chief of staff and the chief of naval operations.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2026
Bryan Clark, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former special assistant to the U.S. chief of naval operations, pointed to this example as a potential indicator for why the Type 076 could prove a major risk in the event of conflict.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Less than a month later, on a Friday night in February, Trump fired General C. Q. Brown, the second Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to rise to chief of naval operations.
—Max Boot, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2025
Trump wants the current superintendent, Vice Adm. Yvette Davids — the first woman to serve in the role — to instead join the chief of naval operations staff, USA TODAY reported.
—Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 1 Aug. 2025
She will be renominated for a third star and go on to serve the chief of naval operations staff.
—Arkansas Online, 19 July 2025
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Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Since taking the helm at the Pentagon, Hegseth has fired more than a dozen senior military officers, including the Air Force vice chief of staff and the chief of naval operations.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2026
Bryan Clark, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former special assistant to the U.S. chief of naval operations, pointed to this example as a potential indicator for why the Type 076 could prove a major risk in the event of conflict.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Less than a month later, on a Friday night in February, Trump fired General C. Q. Brown, the second Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to rise to chief of naval operations.
—Max Boot, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2025
Trump wants the current superintendent, Vice Adm. Yvette Davids — the first woman to serve in the role — to instead join the chief of naval operations staff, USA TODAY reported.
—Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 1 Aug. 2025
She will be renominated for a third star and go on to serve the chief of naval operations staff.
—Arkansas Online, 19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chief of naval operations.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief%20of%20naval%20operations. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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