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
Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 27 Jan. 2026
By the late Nineties, when the media had christened the police force as the Davao Death Squad, or DDS, Duterte enjoyed the allegiance of almost every barangay captain in the city.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
At Christopher Columbus, Fernando was rated a three-star prospect and served as team captain his junior and senior years, per his Indiana bio.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captain
Noun
Between 1957 to 1989, Fennell moved through the department ranks as patrolman, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 27 Jan. 2026
By the late Nineties, when the media had christened the police force as the Davao Death Squad, or DDS, Duterte enjoyed the allegiance of almost every barangay captain in the city.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
Sturdy—who’s been CapitalG’s managing partner since 2023 (and also captained her college basketball team)—and Chase both have clearly taken some learnings from their time on the court.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
At Christopher Columbus, Fernando was rated a three-star prospect and served as team captain his junior and senior years, per his Indiana bio.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captain
Noun
-
Mark Macpherson, the detachment commander for Shelburne District RCMP, told CBC News that video footage captured from a nearby residence shows the dogs ran out into the road while Nickerson was riding his bike past their owners’ property.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Target the Supreme Leader and senior Revolutionary Guards commanders.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Camp Lejeune’s commandant—a man who commanded both respect and wonder—hosted a reception to introduce us to base and community leadership.—
Jay Sloves,
Hartford Courant,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Washington — The Senate confirmed Admiral Kevin Lunday as Coast Guard commandant Thursday night after agency guidance on the display of hate symbols such as swastikas and nooses was clarified.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
More than 8,000 volunteers are with the program so far, but leaders have a goal of growing Phambassadors to at least 10,000 people before the year's biggest events.—
Nikki DeMentri,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The leader of the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies, which began in South Korea and has spread worldwide, is also on trial over the bribes.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Others in the field include unsuccessful 2022 GOP nominee Darren Bailey, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick and real estate and gambling tycoon Rick Heidner.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Forsythe, who played oil tycoon Blake Carrington, was in high demand during his time on Dynasty.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Nuro's validation process combines simulation, closed-course testing and supervised on-road driving.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
For See It Now Studios Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong are executive producers, and Aysu Saliba and Cara Tortora are supervising producers.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The court ruled Thursday that the port concession granted to Panama Ports Company — a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings — was unconstitutional.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Garnett, a Biden appointee and former Manhattan federal prosecutor, ruled after hearing oral arguments earlier this month.—
MICHAEL R. SISAK,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Anime, unsurprisingly, commanded some of the loudest applause in the room.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Expertise commands premium prices.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Only the skipper, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, has been at the club longer than Lobotka.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
That could be merely some wishful thinking from the skipper, or it could be informed by the workouts and progress Thomson has seen up close.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Captain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captain. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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