1
as in supervising
to be in charge of
if you do well on this, you'll be asked to captain the next mission
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2
as in governing
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 leading
to serve as leader of
you did a good job of captaining the team
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of captaining
The former UConn women’s basketball star is captaining the youngest team in the 3-on-3 league this year, which features four first-time Unrivaled players with an average age of just 24 years old.
—
Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
That 2023 tournament generated tremendous international excitement, with superstars such as Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto competing for Japan; Francisco Lindor captaining Puerto Rico; and Juan Soto leading the Dominican Republic.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Manchester United fans will receive 2,960 tickets to see a team that won at Leeds in their most recent game in February 2023, with Harry Maguire, a proud Yorkshireman, captaining them to victory that day.
—Andy Mitten, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026
The United States team went on to sweep to the gold medal, with Wilson as captaining the team and winning tournament MVP.
—Tyler Erzberger, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Pat Rafter, who is assisting tennis legend and former Bay Area resident Andre Agassi in captaining Team World, certainly knows his squad is facing quite a challenge in trying to stop Alcaraz.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
Co-captaining the Time Bandit, the veteran fishermen kicked off a modern-day gold rush — but the race for the rare crab took a dangerous turn when chaos erupted aboard the Titan Explorer and forced Captain Jake Anderson’s crew to abandon ship.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025
From being seen as a rugby reject to captaining an NFL team and winning a Super Bowl, Mailata’s story is proof that with dedication and hard work, international athletes can reach the pinnacle of American football.
—Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Around the same time, Emily Bode’s father was captaining his high school football team, which inspired her to choose the silhouette for the collaboration and heavily influenced the retro aesthetic of the marketing.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
That 2023 tournament generated tremendous international excitement, with superstars such as Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto competing for Japan; Francisco Lindor captaining Puerto Rico; and Juan Soto leading the Dominican Republic.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Manchester United fans will receive 2,960 tickets to see a team that won at Leeds in their most recent game in February 2023, with Harry Maguire, a proud Yorkshireman, captaining them to victory that day.
—Andy Mitten, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026
The United States team went on to sweep to the gold medal, with Wilson as captaining the team and winning tournament MVP.
—Tyler Erzberger, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Pat Rafter, who is assisting tennis legend and former Bay Area resident Andre Agassi in captaining Team World, certainly knows his squad is facing quite a challenge in trying to stop Alcaraz.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
Co-captaining the Time Bandit, the veteran fishermen kicked off a modern-day gold rush — but the race for the rare crab took a dangerous turn when chaos erupted aboard the Titan Explorer and forced Captain Jake Anderson’s crew to abandon ship.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025
From being seen as a rugby reject to captaining an NFL team and winning a Super Bowl, Mailata’s story is proof that with dedication and hard work, international athletes can reach the pinnacle of American football.
—Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Around the same time, Emily Bode’s father was captaining his high school football team, which inspired her to choose the silhouette for the collaboration and heavily influenced the retro aesthetic of the marketing.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captaining
Verb
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Trump is set to chair the Board of Peace, which will be tasked with supervising postwar restoration efforts in Gaza as part of the second phase of the president’s 20-point peace plan.—
Sophie Brams,
The Hill,
21 Jan. 2026
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Parents supervising their teen’s account will now be able to set a time limit on Shorts, ranging from two hours to zero minutes.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Basel Convention, a global treaty governing hazardous waste movement across borders, shapes how e-waste is recycled worldwide.—
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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The International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation — the sport’s governing body — investigated that race and said no rules were broken.—
Tim Reynolds,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Nuro is leading the testing using robotaxi engineering prototypes supervised by autonomous vehicle operators.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
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Gold, sage and forest green tile flooring lined the area, leading into a room with a pool table and carpet, with a series of unique memorabilia on the walls.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mayor Eric Genrich laid blame for Pretti’s death on the federal officials overseeing the controversial deployment of federal agents to the Twin Cities.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
25 Jan. 2026
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In May, as part of a larger executive reorganization, Matt Severson was named executive vice president of academy collection and preservation, overseeing all archival, preservation, registration, conservation and cataloging work of the library, archive and Academy Museum.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Another member of the commission, Liu Zhenli, has also been placed under investigation by China’s ruling Communist Party, a Defense Ministry statement said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
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With a ruling looming but uncertain, Democratic members of Congress are reviving an effort to terminate the national emergency declared by Trump on April 2, 2025, which saw the president impose sweeping duties on dozens of American trade partners.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So, the 128GB Pixel 10 will apparently cost €549, with the 256GB variant commanding a €100 premium.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Instead, the incessant chatter is employees briefing their agents — commanding personal AI assistants to handle their grunt work and execute tasks.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Federal investigators in Guam believed the devices held evidence that would help prove individuals handling the island’s Covid unemployment assistance program were part of a plot to steal funds.—
Thomas Brewster,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Set on nearly an acre of land, the compound commands more than 150 linear feet of ocean frontage—more than any other home in Lanikai, according to List Sotheby’s International Realty, which is handling the listing.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Her mother accompanied her to appointments, managing logistics and providing emotional support.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Tina Olson, a managing attorney with the Juvenile Lifer Unit in the State Appellate Defender Office, says the decision doesn't minimize the crimes committed – or the victims impacted – but instead ensures defendants are given fair punishments.—
Elaine Rojas-Castillo,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Captaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captaining. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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