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 The aircraft carrier My Mother’s Wedding also includes the unexpected wow factor in the ginormous Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales used in scenes involving Johansson’s naval commander. Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2025 He was selected as a backup commander for Neil Armstrong on the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission in June 1969. Patricio Chile, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2025 Spacecraft commander Zena Cardman leads the mission, designated Crew-11, with three others aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule: veteran NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui of Japan, and Oleg Platonov of Russia. Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025 And now at least two CPD district councils plan to hold symbolic no-confidence votes in John Foster, commander of Area 5 detectives, who oversees the investigations into the most serious crimes across the Northwest Side. Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
Noun
  • The commandant had also stayed behind, in his office.
    Charles Pellegrino, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Prior to her appointment to commandant, Fagan served in several other leadership roles, including as vice commandant and commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area.
    Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • There would also therefore be a strong case for the England captain Leah Williamson, who was imperious withstanding countless waves of attack from FC Barcelona and Spain in those two finals.
    Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Each ship has a captain and roughly 20 crew members, depending on the size.
    Emma George-Griffin, Freep.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Benches cleared during a chaotic eighth inning at Angel Stadium on Tuesday night, leading to a war of words between Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy and interim Los Angeles skipper Ray Montgomery.
    Sam Blum, New York Times, 30 July 2025
  • The alternative is chartering your own boat with a skipper and staff, as well as drinks and snacks.
    JOE YOGERST, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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