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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in leader
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do
we only do what the captain tells us to, so it's not our fault when things don't work out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in tycoon
a person of rank, power, or influence in a particular field
a fascinating magazine article profiling the captains of the American auto industry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to supervise
to be in charge of
if you do well on this, you'll be asked to captain the next mission
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to rule
to exercise authority or power over
captained the project for a few days while the boss was out of town
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to command
to serve as leader of
you did a good job of captaining the team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 2 May 2025
Thompson’s momentum carried him far left, leaving tons of real estate wide-open for New York’s captain to buy up.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 May 2025
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
In her place, the armband has been worn by Boswell’s housemate, Robertson, who captained them to successive victories away at AFC Wimbledon and Gwalia United.
—Asif Burhan, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captain
Noun
While responding to a call after a two-car collision, Chim goes off on one of the drivers, as well as Gerrard (Brian Thompson), who has stepped in as interim captain until a replacement can be determined.
—Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 2 May 2025
Thompson’s momentum carried him far left, leaving tons of real estate wide-open for New York’s captain to buy up.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 May 2025
Verb
According to the two survivors, the boat was overcrowded, lacked life jackets and was captained by someone with little to no navigation experience.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
In her place, the armband has been worn by Boswell’s housemate, Robertson, who captained them to successive victories away at AFC Wimbledon and Gwalia United.
—Asif Burhan, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captain
Noun
-
McRaven retired in 2014 as a four-star admiral and the ninth commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).—
Chris Harris,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
A number of senior Russian commanders have been killed in Ukraine.—
Mark Weinstein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Her departure follows earlier dismissals of Admiral Linda Fagan, who had been serving as Coast Guard commandant, and Admiral Lisa Franchetti, previously nominated to lead the Navy.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
-
One of Trump’s earliest actions was relieving the commandant of the Coast Guard.—
Varad Mehta,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
President Trump, Vice President Vance React to First American Pope Announcement World leaders across continents extended messages of hope, unity and spiritual solidarity Thursday after Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
-
Trump 100 days: Former president's success created measuring stick for future leaders Poll: Trump loses trust on the economy as 100-day mark nears From Trump to Reagan: Their first 100 days Trump promised to improve the economy on Day 1.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
The man who once mocked piety had become a moral touchstone; the scold of American pretensions now dined with tycoons.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Some real estate tycoons, who are actively developing, have to fret over the cost of building materials.—
Dan Alexander,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Some dogs may need to be supervised at all times when playing with some of their toys.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
Beverly Cannone, the Norfolk County judge presiding in the case, ruled in January that Dr. Marie Russell, an emergency room physician, can testify in Read's second trial that marks on O'Keefe's arm were dog bites, not caused by being hit by an SUV.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
-
In the 20th century, state courts have ruled that the doctrine bars states and local governments from selling off lakefront property or harbors to private owners and protects public access to beaches, lakes and oceans.—
Alexandra Klass,
The Conversation,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
Romania’s president has a semi-executive role that includes commanding the armed forces and chairing the security council that decides on military aid.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
4 May 2025
-
The group also commands a large following on social — with more than 500K followers on Instagram and 637K on TikTok — and recently launched a nationwide live sketch tour.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
The Liverpool and Netherlands skipper is one of the greatest centre-backs of the modern era, but his journey to the top was far from straightforward.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The Rockies’ manager from 2002-09, his 534 wins are second in franchise history behind current skipper Bud Black, and Hurdle was at the helm for Colorado’s Rocktober run to the World Series in 2007.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captain. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share