1
as in presiding
highest in rank or authority
with the death of the general, he instantly became the commanding officer on the field of battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prominent
likely to attract attention
even in a room filled with world leaders, he was a commanding presence
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in directing
Related Words
1
as in instructing
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority
the general commanded his troops with Caesar-like imperiousness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ordering
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority
the governor has commanded that all state flags be flown at half-mast
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in demanding
to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority
an act of courage that commands the admiration of all who witnessed it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in governing
to exercise authority or power over
a cabinet secretary who commands the largest department in the federal government
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5
as in having
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
local government does not command the resources that are needed to respond to such a huge disaster
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6
as in dominating
to look down on
for centuries an imposing castle has commanded that stretch of the river
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7
as in leading
to serve as leader of
the head of the agency commands an army of workers trained to respond to the immediate needs of disaster victims
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in asking
to set or receive as a price
commands a high fee for his decorating services
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of commanding
Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Pinot Gris Pinot Grigio’s spicier, more commanding sibling.
—Anna Lee C. Iijima, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Nov. 2025
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Dec. 2025
Equally commanding was Tessa Thompson’s riveting performance in Hedda (directed by Nia DaCosta), which earned her a deserved Golden Globe nomination.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 9 Dec. 2025
Nick Lentz, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
The vote is widely seen as a test of the 81-year-old Museveni's political strength, and nearly-final results gave him a commanding lead.
—Reuters, NBC news, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding
Adjective
Previous polling had suggested Van Epps had a more commanding lead.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Pinot Gris Pinot Grigio’s spicier, more commanding sibling.
—Anna Lee C. Iijima, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Nov. 2025
Noun
Aledo did miss several chances to put the game away after taking a commanding a 42-21 lead in the second half.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Dec. 2025
Equally commanding was Tessa Thompson’s riveting performance in Hedda (directed by Nia DaCosta), which earned her a deserved Golden Globe nomination.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 9 Dec. 2025
Verb
The officer then opened her driver's door and turned her vehicle off before commanding her to exit.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
The vote is widely seen as a test of the 81-year-old Museveni's political strength, and nearly-final results gave him a commanding lead.
—Reuters, NBC news, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding
Adjective
-
Healthcare Failures That Put Lives at Risk Healthcare has emerged as an increasingly prominent concern in recent reports.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Medical imaging, including radiology — X-rays, mammograms, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound — is a prominent area for AI diagnostic tools.—
Peter Shen,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Anderson is currently penning the sequel to the Disney live-action hit Cruella, with Emma Stone starring and producing, Craig Gillespie directing and Marc Platt and Kristin Burr producing.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
-
But smart casting, witty writing, lively directing, and artful character development have also yielded the rare superhero riff that, as Kovak puts it, finds the human underneath.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Last year, the $205 billion bank sent out a memo introducing required AI training to 175,000 staffers across 80 locations—instructing them particularly in prompting—Citi confirmed with Fortune.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Hendrick shared a story about legendary crew chief Ray Evernham instructing his pit crew to run wind sprints to get in shape — something that wasn’t common practice in the 1980s.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Dutch court ruled government discriminated against Bonaire’s 20,000 residents by failing to protect them from climate change, ordering binding emissions targets within 18 months.—
Mike Corder,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Pros recommend ordering materials and booking installation early in the year to lock in lower prices.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Organizations actively seeking boundary-setting high performers will succeed and flourish in a demanding enviornment.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Stability that enables demanding experiments Beyond raw strength, stability, and reliability, the value of an all-superconducting user magnet lies in its ability to deliver high performance.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Basel Convention, a global treaty governing hazardous waste movement across borders, shapes how e-waste is recycled worldwide.—
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation — the sport’s governing body — investigated that race and said no rules were broken.—
Tim Reynolds,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Rose emphasized the importance of the dig, as Chinese American cowboys were often overlooked in the historical record, despite having a big economic impact.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
If the right deal for a starting-level center is there for the Pacers right now, will the Pacers actually be buyers despite having the worst record in the NBA?—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Jones has no worries about Hollywood pictures dominating the top categories.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2026
-
These nominees represent the different lanes of modern music marketing, each artist finding their lane and dominating it.—
Olivia Shalhoup,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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