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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Andy Naylor, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Kevin May, a Delta A350 captain who is directly involved with the GEESE project, compares the flight pattern to cycling in tight packs.
—Megan Wollerton, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2026
Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Endrick was also involved in the second goal in the 56th when his shot from the left was saved and captain Corentin Tolisso headed in the rebound.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captain
Noun
Hurzeler also has a decision to make on whether to start Danny Welbeck, who has deputised as captain in the last two matches.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Kevin May, a Delta A350 captain who is directly involved with the GEESE project, compares the flight pattern to cycling in tight packs.
—Megan Wollerton, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
Then, this year, 17 years after filing that hit-and-run report at the Northern Division, Makwana returned there and was soon promoted to captain.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Endrick was also involved in the second goal in the 56th when his shot from the left was saved and captain Corentin Tolisso headed in the rebound.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captain
Noun
-
Mikkelsen will take the role of mission commander and Philips the role of pilot.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Immigration and Customs Enforcement resolved that issue on April 3 by detaining Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and Sarinasadat Hosseiny, the niece and grandniece of the late Iranian commander.—
Danielle Pletka,
Washington Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Previously, warfare was about expensive platforms and precision strikes, driving a downsizing in military forces as countries increasingly relied on cutting-edge technology, said Blythe Crawford, former commandant of the RAF’s Air and Space Warfare Centre.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
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About 90 minutes after the lockdown took effect, the Naval Academy’s deputy commandant emailed students, telling them that as law enforcement worked to secure the school, a midshipman mistook police for a threat and engaged them, according to the official.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Blackhawks kept pace in the conference standings with Riverside-Brookfield and Glenbard East, with all three teams trailing league leader South Elgin by one game.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
-
As the eldest brother in the band, Alan was often seen as its de facto leader.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Here, Mo’s financial struggles come into focus as his failure to keep up payments leads to a possible loss of the house, bringing in Melvin Huffnagle as real estate tycoon Davis Harlan, who is buying the home.—
Amy Reyes,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The 64-year-old tycoon is himself no stranger to the rumor mill.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Chavez, a 78-year-old retiree who worked as a foreman supervising construction at the site, also disappeared in May 2025, according to Los Alamos police.—
Natasha Chen,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Goldwyn served as writer and supervising producer on Emily in Paris, and writer on SMILF and Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, among others.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Initially treated as a death by natural causes, the case was later ruled a homicide after an undertaker noticed a knife wound on the back of her neck.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Of course, Wall Street is not ruled by individual trading bets.—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Examples of the Ferrari 250 GT built by Boano have commanded impressive prices in recent years—a similar 1956 car once owned by the band Cream’s bass player, Jack Bruce, sold at the RM Sotheby’s Scottsdale sale in 2021 for $1,352,500.—
Howard Walker,
Robb Report,
21 Apr. 2026
-
On the Sonora stage Sunday, the 22-year-old Newark rapper-producer who arrived at the current screaming catharsis via a circuit of molting SoundCloud-era microgenres was at once dangerously commanding and euphoric while tearing through highlights from last year’s Revengeseekerz.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Closer Devin Williams seemed almost offended that he was asked about the management of the third-year skipper.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the skipper and the rest of the crew work frantically to put the ship about and head back to recover the person.—
David Szondy
April 19,
New Atlas,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Captain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captain. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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