1
as in commandant
one in official command especially of a military force or base a surrender of the fort by the commander without a single shot having been fired

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2
as in captain
a person in overall command of a ship the intrepid commander of the HMS Surprise

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of commander Rear Admiral Kwan Hon Chuong, Singaporean navy's fleet commander, described a submarine in need of rescue situation as a race against time. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025 Accompanied by a bevy of dancers dressed in camo shorts and white T-shirts and her DJ, their commander of the night turned up the heat with her performance, and while initially wearing a short camo jacket. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025 Hundreds of generals and admirals — senior commanders of the one-star rank or higher and their top advisers — have been summoned by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from all over the world to the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, with little notice. Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025 The order applied to senior commanders of the one-star rank or higher, and their top advisers. Richard Hall, Time, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
Noun
  • In all, Camp Pendleton has 13,602 rooms, but only 11,692 were usable and only 2,393 met the commandant’s new standards, officials said.
    Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 23 Sep. 2025
  • David Forman, deputy commandant of midshipmen, a midshipman who mistook authorized law enforcement as a threat engaged and was injured in the process.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The Palace captain was close to joining the Premier League champions before Palace pulled the plug on a £35million deal late on deadline day after failing to source an adequate replacement.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Multiple opponents had forfeited games to the Spartans after co-captain Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit against the NCAA citing her experience with Fleming.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • His decade-long run as Atlanta’s skipper was highlighted by the 2021 World Series title.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Some pumpkins veer off course and soak their skippers in the pond’s fountain.
    Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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