captain 1 of 2

1
as in commander
a person in overall command of a ship the captain is responsible for everything that happens to his ship in the course of a voyage

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2
as in commandant
one in official command especially of a military force or base the captain of the largest army ever marshaled for battle in this country

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3
4

captain

2 of 2

verb

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 captain
Noun
With three forwards in captain Aleksander Barkov, star winger Matthew Tkachuk and fourth-line center Tomas Nosek out long-term, the Panthers have openings to round out their roster that might not have previously been available. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025 As Judge and the Yankees prepare for yet another high-stakes matchup with the Red Sox, the captain will probably be avoiding many outings in public. Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
The military convened marching bands and appointed a Navy lieutenant, Bill Osmanski, a fullback for the Chicago Bears, to captain the Isahaya Tigers, and a Marine Corps lieutenant, Angelo Bertelli, a Heisman-winning quarterback at Notre Dame, to lead the Nagasaki Bears. Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025 And, John Kraus, who captains the Spirit, is ready. Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for captain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captain
Noun
  • Her commander called her the best battalion officer in the brigade.
    Arman Khan, Them., 3 Oct. 2025
  • It’s command structure also transcends traditional nation-state borders by integrating Iranian, Lebanese and Iraqi commanders.
    Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
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 Church of England has been without a leader since last November when Justin Welby resigned over a child abuse cover-up scandal.
    Muvija M, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The third is a firebrand conservative who could become the country’s first female leader.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In collaboration with her longtime makeup artist Hung Vanngo and hairstylist Renato Camparo, the beauty tycoon partnered an Old Hollywood aesthetic with three unique dresses designed by Ralph Lauren on her big day.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Recent years have seen these tycoons entering into the world of politics.
    Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Some genres may be extremely violent and gory, so parents may want to consider supervising their children's viewing of films or avoid them altogether.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Advertisement Concerns about damage to parks Former park officials and advocates have expressed fear that protected land will be damaged by visitors if sites are left partially open while thousands of workers are furloughed or fired, and therefore absent from supervising lands.
    Connor Greene, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • On Saturday, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party tapped Sanae Takaichi, positioning the conservative lawmaker to become Japan’s first female prime minister.
    Danny Bakst, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The judge did not rule on the facts of the case, but rather that the suit should have been filed in New Zealand and not Wisconsin.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Trump opts to join Hegseth's pep talk to commanding generals.
    Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
  • But Verse, the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, is proving stout against the run and is commanding the attention with double teams and chips of a team’s top edge rusher, which has opened up Byron Young to notch five sacks through the first three games.
    The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 29 Sep. 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

“Captain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captain. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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