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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in dominating
to look down on
for centuries an imposing castle has commanded that stretch of the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The Colorado Avalanche solidified their lead atop the Central Division on Sunday, emphatically, building a commanding lead and giving Minnesota Wild fans precious little to cheer about.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 22 Dec. 2025
Morgan Korn, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2025
Neither team took a commanding lead until the fourth quarter when the Bobcats came up clutch to earn their first conference victory.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 17 Dec. 2025
Jason Phillips, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Edwards led seven Minnesota players scoring in double figures, pushing the Timberwolves to a commanding win after a pair of disappointing losses to New Orleans and the Los Angeles Clippers.
—CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding
Adjective
Uganda’s longtime President Yoweri Museveni took a commanding lead in early election results as reports of deadly violence emerged following Thursday’s vote.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The Colorado Avalanche solidified their lead atop the Central Division on Sunday, emphatically, building a commanding lead and giving Minnesota Wild fans precious little to cheer about.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 22 Dec. 2025
Noun
The compact sport utility vehicle's ($60,000) two-box design underwent a dramatic metamorphosis, with the latest iteration taller, longer, wider and more commanding.
—Morgan Korn, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2025
Neither team took a commanding lead until the fourth quarter when the Bobcats came up clutch to earn their first conference victory.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 17 Dec. 2025
Verb
The heart pattern is simple, and the split band adds a little extra personality without commanding the whole look.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Edwards led seven Minnesota players scoring in double figures, pushing the Timberwolves to a commanding win after a pair of disappointing losses to New Orleans and the Los Angeles Clippers.
—CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding
Adjective
-
The absence that has lingered over the Boston Red Sox world for the last five weeks was especially prominent Sunday as the team held its first full-squad workout of 2026.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Some cultural events featuring prominent Israelis since the start of the war in Gaza have been subject to anti-Israel demonstrations.—
Philissa Cramer,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Historically, White House officials have taken pains to avoid any appearance of being involved in, or directing, criminal investigations undertaken by the Justice Department and the FBI.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
-
He's also done some TV directing with The Boys and Black Mirror, among others.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The lawsuit also seeks an order instructing OpenLoop to pay for lifetime credit monitoring and identity-theft insurance for all class members.—
Clark Kauffman,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
20 Feb. 2026
-
One person’s voice is heard in the video instructing people which batch to light first.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Kim had previously taken responsibility for ordering soldiers to enact martial law.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The wholesaler will be rolling out custom cake and deli tray ordering through its mobile app.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Another ransom note demanding $6 million in cryptocurrency in exchange for the safe return of Nancy Guthrie was sent to TMZ on Wednesday.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
As drinkers have begun demanding more from what’s in their glass — alcoholic or otherwise — a handful of producers have brought back real grenadine.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Then the governing federations for each individual Olympic sport would need to vote to end their bans.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Fidesz has not released a program, arguing that after governing for 16 years, its voters know what kinds of policies to expect.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There were noticeable knock-on effects of having so few fixtures.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Once chewed up by the machine of expectation and found guilty of the eternal athletic sin of having too much talent too soon, Liu has since learned how to spit back rather than be spit out.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And sure, gathering enough of those players on one roster would mean dominating the MAC.—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
How the Hockey Fight Started Canada was already dominating when France’s Crinon delivered a hit on Nathan MacKinnon.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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