captains 1 of 2

plural of captain
1
as in commanders
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

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2
as in commandants
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

captains

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of captain

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 captains
Noun
Long snapper Hank Pepper, linebacker Eric Gentry, quarterback Jayden Maiava, wide receiver Asante Das and offensive lineman Tobias Raymond were each announced as game captains on Saturday. Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025 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 Generals capture by far the biggest share of those profits; the colonels and captains who serve under them likely get table scraps. Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025 On a good set, these are accompanied by stunt captains, intimacy coordinators, and directors focused on safety. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025 Players elected seven captains before the season, three on offense, three on defense and one on special teams. Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025 Allen was among several captains who called for Corpus’ ouster last year over conflict-of-interest concerns and an allegedly hostile work environment, while Millbrae City Manager Tom Williams testified on her behalf during her removal proceedings last August. Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025 Members of Good Good Golf will be featured throughout, including Brad Dalke and Sean Walsh as two of the 12 contestants, Matt Scharff as co-host and Garrett Clark and Bubbie Broders as non-playing team captains. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
As Olivia Walker in the Netflix thriller, the actress captains the White House's Situation Room with the world on the brink of nuclear war. Benjamin Vanhoose, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025 And, John Kraus, who captains the Spirit, is ready. Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025 Strong interest from Brazil’s Palmeiras had a certain appeal — Paraguay team-mates Ramon Sosa and Gustavo Gomez, who captains club and country, are with the Sao Paulo side — but the preference, for Enciso and his camp, was to remain in Europe. Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025 Once the final direct qualifiers have been determined, captains Bradley and Luke Donald must select the remaining six members of their teams. Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025 Gracely, who usually captains larger vessels—oil tankers, container ships—described a stretch when the boat ran on battery power down the Atchafalaya River. Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captains
Noun
  • The special prosecutor’s team has accused Yoon and his military commanders of ordering a covert drone operation into the North to inflame tensions between the neighbors and justify his martial law decree.
    Reuters 2 hr ago, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Fort Worth commanders placed Johnson on restricted duty for the duration of the incomplete criminal and Internal Affairs Unit administrative investigations, according to a department spokesperson.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Should the leaders falter over the months ahead, Slot and Guardiola will hope their teams are in a position to capitalise.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Despite vocal support from Aspire Capitol Heights families and a concerted effort from school leaders to prove that the school’s fiscal and academic issues could be solved, the board voted 4-1 to deny the school’s charter renewal.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Edward and Shari Glazer The siblings and Florida sports tycoons own the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and have partial ownership of Manchester United.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
  • The series marks the first mainstream platform uniting India’s entertainment icons with industry tycoons to spotlight fashion entrepreneurship.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sebastio supervises retail, finance and an in-house team of three designers for product consistency, as the brand was first inspired by his own and his father’s wardrobe.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The assistant chief directly supervises section commanders, providing leadership, mentorship and guidance.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • If the court rules against the administration, the White House may be forced to return the money already collected from the levies.
    Sean Conlon,Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
  • If the court rules that the indictment or appointment is invalid, prosecutors may be barred from refiling because the statute of limitations has expired.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Pakistan’s army chief, General Syed Asim Munir, was awarded the rank of Field Marshal, and commands wide public and political support.
    Rafia Zakaria, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The design commands attention with its dramatic proportions.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Former big-league skippers Rocco Baldelli, David Ross or Brandon Hyde would bring managerial experience to the job.
    Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Others tip over, forcing their skippers to swim back with the boat in tow.
    Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Since the beginning of this administration, Silicon Valley’s biggest bosses have appeased the president, capitulating to his every whim — agreeing to pay export taxes, giving away equity to the government, defunding schools for Latino students and ending diversity programs.
    Mercury News & East Bay Times editorial, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025
  • At the beginning of the industrial revolution, the big bosses considered women inferior to their male counterparts (weaker, more emotional, less reliable, and so forth).
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Captains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captains. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.

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