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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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of captain
Pavelski had been with the Sharks for 13 seasons, spending the last four as the team’s captain.
—
Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
He was intercepted by Hare, and the senior captain potted a pole goal seconds later as Scituate took a 5-3 lead into the fourth.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 2 June 2026
The Sabercats’ captain, CHSAA Class 5A Player of the Year and dominant two-way force, had 7 goals, 9 assists and 23 points this season.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard looked up to the sky and back down at the trophy, shaking his head in disbelief, before walking in front of his celebrating teammates and lifting it aloft inside Selhurst Park after a campaign-ending 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.
—Steve Douglas, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for captain
Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
He was intercepted by Hare, and the senior captain potted a pole goal seconds later as Scituate took a 5-3 lead into the fourth.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 2 June 2026
The Sabercats’ captain, CHSAA Class 5A Player of the Year and dominant two-way force, had 7 goals, 9 assists and 23 points this season.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard looked up to the sky and back down at the trophy, shaking his head in disbelief, before walking in front of his celebrating teammates and lifting it aloft inside Selhurst Park after a campaign-ending 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.
—Steve Douglas, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for captain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captain
Noun
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Because the Russian commanders keep attacking anyway, the Ukrainians are killing and wounding thousands of enemy soldiers, perhaps as many as 30,000, every month.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
-
During launch and landing, when the seats were assembled, to the left of the entrance was the seat of the pilot (NASA’s Victor Glover) and commander (NASA’s Reid Wiseman).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 June 2026
Noun
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The State Police will also hire a civilian director to work alongside the academy’s commandant, and institute baseline physical and psychological screenings for recruits before the academy begins.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
-
Admiral Kevin Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard, said the discovery reconnects the service to a defining moment in its history.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The move suggests a broader shift in Tehran, where a new generation of leaders is increasingly abandoning the cautious, reactive approach that long defined the Islamic Republic’s strategy towards its adversaries.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
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Bains, backed by Democratic Party leaders and major labor organizations, ran as a more moderate Democrat with a healthcare background who occasionally broke with her party on Assembly votes.—
Mathew Miranda
June 9,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
In January, police in Cambodia also arrested Chen Zhi, the tycoon accused of running numerous scam compounds, a few months after the US seized about $15 billion in cryptocurrency tied to his businesses.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
3 June 2026
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Ali kills the sex- and drug-trafficking tycoon with three shotgun blasts to the chest.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Botin said he had been told Saturday’s racing was effectively an exhibition match for the spectators, but Dylan Fletcher, the skipper of the British boat, believed the opposite.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
Sighting Shebara The speedboat and its four passengers—the captain, the skipper, my aforementioned scuba instructor and I—are cruising along the water when a mirage seems to appear in the distance, strung out like giant pearls floating on top of the sea.—
Lauren Keith,
Robb Report,
30 May 2026
Noun
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Online resale app Vinted is seeing a structural shift in consumer behaviour, as habits form around the resale economy, the company’s marketplace boss told CNBC on Monday.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
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Now, even a Gen Z hiring manager is backing the bosses who slam her generation after an interviewee FaceTimed her and demanded more money.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
Noun
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The backstory South African billionaire and tech magnate Koos Bekker and his wife Karen Roos had already created waves at Babylonstoren in South Africa, with its gardens modeled on those of the Dutch East India Company, vineyards, and herbal spa.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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His students had collectively decided to set the play in eighteen-nineties Butte, making the court of Duke Frederick the house of a silver-mining magnate and situating the Forest of Arden in the Absarokas.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
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As foreman, Rip will oversee a 75,000-acre ranch, manage 2,200 head of cattle and supervise a large bunkhouse staff.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
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Sting plays Jackie White, a shipyard foreman whose health is deteriorating at the moment his community needs him most.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Captain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captain. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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