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
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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
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
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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
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Recent Examples of captain
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
What will be the line of defense, who must pass the ball to whom and how will the captain set the whole game plan?
—Sahil Gandhi, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2025
In 1982, her father, who fought in the Vietnam War, captained a tugboat with 30 passengers fleeing central Vietnam amid the country’s post-war reconstruction, stopping briefly in Hong Kong before continuing to California.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captain
Noun
The captain disagrees but is soon proved wrong as the plane crashes.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
What will be the line of defense, who must pass the ball to whom and how will the captain set the whole game plan?
—Sahil Gandhi, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Verb
Sandoval expects that Huntley will captain the U20 team this year.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2025
In 1982, her father, who fought in the Vietnam War, captained a tugboat with 30 passengers fleeing central Vietnam amid the country’s post-war reconstruction, stopping briefly in Hong Kong before continuing to California.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captain
Noun
-
Israel launched the air war on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders as well as civilians in the worst blow to the Islamic Republic since the 1980s war with Iraq.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
29 June 2025
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Since then, the Mars satellites have acted as a super-speed web of cosmic messengers, passing data, imagery, software changes and commands between the Martian robotic scouts and their commanders across NASA.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Mahoney also performed the duties of acting commandant of the Marine Corps from November 2023 to March 2024 after Gen. Eric Smith suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
18 June 2025
-
Schumer pointed to Admiral Linda Fagan being relieved of her duties as commandant of the Coast Guard on Jan. 21.—
Adi Guajardo,
CBS News,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
Republican leaders in the state legislature did not go along with the original DeSantis plan to have Florida fund the flights filled with federal immigration detainees.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2025
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The annual event brought together influential leaders from media, entertainment, social justice, sports, technology, nonprofits and other industry sectors for a day of discussions and learning.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Reuters — Vietnam will remove the death penalty for eight offenses from next month, including embezzlement and activities aimed at overthrowing the government, parliament said on Wednesday, sparing the life of a tycoon in a $12 billion fraud case.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
25 June 2025
-
Plenty of world leaders, business tycoons, and tech titans share their top reads every year.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
25 June 2025
Verb
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The flights will have regular communications with air traffic control towers, a wide array of sensors on board and someone supervising the plane from below. Plans for the company’s air taxis also are being tested at two other U.S. airports., Houston and Long Beach, California.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2025
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Never feed or approach bears, secure all garbage, clean and store grills and fire pits properly, store any toys when not in use and make sure young children and pets are supervised when outside.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
Verb
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Haines ruled that seven days is not enough time to get a court hearing, therefore being deported within seven days would violate someone's right to due process.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
-
The Supreme Court ruled on a major transgender rights case.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
Just as the nuclear triad structured the postwar balance of power, this new triad will determine who commands economic stability, military strength and political influence.—
Markus Pflitsch,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
-
In 1950, Dwight Eisenhower, who had commanded Allied Forces in Europe during the Second World War, became NATO’s first SACEUR.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
The main captain, though, will be Bernardo Silva, fulfilling a 2019 prophecy from Vincent Kompany, at the end of the Belgian defender’s time as City skipper.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
Gill has already led from the front with the Gujarat Titans after being installed as skipper in the 2024 Indian Premier League.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captain. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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