captain 1 of 2

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
4

captain

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of captain
Noun
The Republican National Committee is now providing personnel, including five full-time staffers, 50 county captains over 15,000 volunteers, who include attorneys and poll workers, per the committee. ABC News, 4 Nov. 2025 Based on his observations around Whitefish Point, Lynn said captains have a greater willingness to drop anchor and wait out a storm rather than risking it and powering through. Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
Clendenen was promoted to captain in August 2024 and served in the Eastern Division for a year before transferring to Northern. Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025 Opposite of Gunna will be UK rapper Aitch, captaining a team that will feature former NFL QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Adam W, U.S. flag football player Ashlea Klam, Tommy Fury, SV2, Jay Cinco, Mabel, and European women’s flag football champion Phoebe Schecter. Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for captain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captain
Noun
  • The Lost in Space ship was piloted by Guy Williams as the expedition commander and Lockhart's onscreen husband, Professor John Robinson, and Mark Goddard's Major West.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Still, the commander-in-chief can authorize military force without Congress, but only in response to an imminent threat.
    Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • One of their leaders, a colonel of the Russian National Guard named Sergei Dovgan, began to act as the commandant of the surrounding town.
    Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
  • On January 21, one day into the new presidency, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security fired Admiral Linda Fagan, the first female commandant of the Coast Guard, without stating a reason.
    Max Boot, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Decisions made in Gyeongju are non-binding — and leaders have faced difficulty reaching consensus in the past including on thorny issues like Russia’s war in Ukraine.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
  • In Axios, Alexander Solender and Marc Caputo report on the half-dozen labor leaders who have urged Democrats to vote for government funding and end the shutdown without conditions.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • One of the collections comes from Walmart tycoon Jack Shewmaker, which features a plethora of rare pickup trucks.
    Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Tabor Opera House Built in 1879 by mining tycoon Horace Tabor, the Tabor Opera House is a Victorian-era landmark in the heart of downtown that still hosts live theater, concerts, and community events.
    Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Working within restricted space, Lanthimos felt the need to go big with the filmmaking, both with supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer Johnnie Burn’s sound design and composer Jerskin Fendrix’s music, which is by far the biggest score in the score-adverse director’s career.
    Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Tesla's Mad Max Mode is a driving profile that Tesla owners can access using the company's most recent Full Self-Driving (FSD) supervised software.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Lower courts have ruled against him, but some trade experts still see a chance that the high court will decide in his favor.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
  • But the show of support which meant most to Slot arrived midway through the first half when anxiety ruled and the contest was still goalless.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The program does not rely on a single host, though Stewart, who left the program in 2015, and returned to it in 2024, commands much of the spotlight.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
  • However, neither Chubb, nor Douglas could command the type of trade asset Phillips brought.
    Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The team will hire 33-year-old Blake Butera as their new skipper, per multiple reports.
    Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The skipper spoke on his decision to change things ahead of such an important contest.
    Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Captain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captain. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on captain

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!