Synonyms of captaining

captaining

verb

present participle of captain

1

as in supervising

to be in charge of

if you do well on this, you'll be asked to captain the next mission

Synonyms & Similar Words

• supervising
• overseeing
• handling
• managing
• commanding
• heading
• steering
• superintending
• guiding
• running
• directing
• controlling
• overlooking
• bossing
• watching over
• administering
• quarterbacking
• ordering
• showing
• riding herd on
• shepherding
• calling the tune (for)
• monitoring
• calling the shots (of)
• governing
• reigning
• presiding (over)
• ruling

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

• governing
• ruling
• controlling
• dominating
• managing
• commanding
• dictating
• presiding (over)
• overseeing
• administering
• bossing
• leading
• domineering
• swaying
• supervising
• conducting
• regulating
• heading
• directing
• superintending
• mastering
• conquering
• oppressing
• reigning (over)
• micromanaging
• subduing
• subjugating
• tyrannizing
• lording (it over)

3

as in leading

to serve as leader of

you did a good job of captaining the team

Synonyms & Similar Words

• leading
• commanding
• heading
• overseeing
• spearheading
• bossing
• managing
• controlling
• dominating
• supervising
• directing
• governing
• handling
• regulating
• running
• superintending

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• serving
• following
• submitting (to)
• yielding (to)
• obeying
• complying (with)
• bowing (to)
• deferring (to)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of captaining

Faf du Plessis, captaining the Texas Super Kings, is at the forefront of Major League Cricket's ambitious bid to establish cricket in the US. — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Couch was captaining a 31-foot boat out of Marathon, towing Supraja Alaparthi, 33, her son, who was 10 years old at the time, and her then 9-year-old nephew. — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026

The 20-year-old started that game as a single deep-lying midfielder and looked a cut above in the first half, before captaining the side again a few days later in the 1-1 draw with Sydney as part of a midfield pivot with Lucas Bergvall. — Elias Burke, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Baresi is regarded as an AC Milan icon, having spent his entire 20-year career with the club, winning six Serie A titles and three top European trophies, and captaining the team for 15 seasons before retiring in 1997. — CNN Money, 31 July 2026

Verhoeff is not only expected to be a big part of North Dakota’s blue line this upcoming season but will likely once again play at the World Junior Championships, possibly captaining the Canadian team with the tournament taking place in Edmonton. — Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 24 July 2026

The Argentine legend, captaining his side, scored twice in the quarterfinal match against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, giving Argentina a 2–1 victory. — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 July 2026

Argentina’s World Cup triumph in 2022 saw Messi emulate Diego Maradona by captaining his country to the title. — Mark Hodge, NBC news, 15 July 2026

Blorian is just as physically imposing as Mosquera and comes off captaining Hapoel Be’er Sheva to a cup and league double. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026