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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
There was no script, only two captains — two veteran leaders — feeding off each other with the rest of their teammates watching. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Raphinha was chosen as one of the club’s first team captains in the 2024–25 season. — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026 Eastside Fire and Rescue The Forest Service is also missing many mid-level managers, like fire engine drivers, engineers, operators and captains, according to several Forest Service employees who asked not to be named out of concern for their jobs. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 The captains, remembering what Moore had told them, grabbed a piece of grass and delivered it to him Monday after the game in a Coca-Cola paper cup. — Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026 Roberts already has earned the respect of players such as senior defender Hutch Stuckert, one of the team’s captains. — Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 Willis was sacked five times, Achane barely had running lanes and captains Patrick Paul and Aaron Brewer committed back-to-back holding penalties in the second quarter. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 We are getting set to go here at Lake Nona as both sets of captains come out for the coin toss. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026 Moore, one of the Texas captains a season ago, left for Colorado. — Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
Here, the lobster roll is surprisingly personal, with lobster sourced from chef Sewall’s cousin Mark, who captains a boat in York Harbor, Maine. — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026 Star center back and veteran captain Virgil van Dijk also captains Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the world in England. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026 Hakimi, who captains Morocco and stars for Paris Saint-Germain, is regarded as one of the best right backs in the world. — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 2 June 2026 Camberos, who captains the Mexican side and plays for the national team, played for Angel City and Bay FC in between a first stint with América and her current tenure, while Geyse last played for Gotham. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 22 May 2026 Rozanov captains the re-named Boston Raiders in the TV adaptation. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 12 May 2026 Rush lost two of his top players to The Bennett School when Reeder and fellow senior Harper Gates, both now captains for the Rebels’ premiere team, decided to pursue the new opportunity. — Jon Poorman, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026 Tigertail, 36, who captains airboat tours through the Everglades, is navigating his boat through the only route available given how dry the park has gotten this year. — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026 Outfielder Jung Hoo Lee captains the South Korean team that finished as runner-up to Team Japan in Pool C from Tokyo. — Shayna Rubin, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captains
Noun
  • The Russian military has sought to weaponize Ukraine prisoners of war by forcing them to denounce their commanders, government and homeland in propaganda videos reaching new audiences in the age of social media.
    — Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Data gathered from weapons could give commanders and trainers additional information for evaluating how units performed and identifying areas for improvement.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The pact is expected to be signed at the ASEAN Summit this November, when leaders from the group’s 11 member states will converge in Manila.
    — Jon M. Huntsman, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Stanford professor Matt Abrahams and Zapier CEO Wade Foster discuss how leaders are using AI to synthesize information, structure ideas, prepare for difficult conversations, and rehearse for high-stakes moments.
    — Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Lately, though, many mom-and-pop tycoons are turning to different kinds of funding.
    — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Today’s tycoons learn a lesson from history — public esteem for rich entrepreneurs inevitably sours, columnist Michael Hiltzik argues.
    — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Some act like the cool parent who supervises their child’s drug use.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In her current role, Second Assistant District Attorney, Sprague supervises all homicides that occur in Plymouth County as well as all firearm and narcotics cases, according to her profile.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Paul Paul of Dune, the heir to the House of Atreides that rules the planet of Caladan, spends most of his story trying to outrun a destiny that’s been mapped out for him by others.
    — Sarah Scott, Parents, 17 Sep. 2026
  • If the court rules in their favor, Kushner’s project may have to be halted.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The pop star simply commands the VMA stage like no other—and tonight was clearly no exception.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The government decree goes into effect immediately but needs to be endorsed within 60 days in parliament, where Meloni’s coalition commands a majority.
    — Giada Zampano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The American League and National League teams will be managed by John Schneider and Dave Roberts, respectively, the skippers of last year’s World Series clubs.
    — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Ludwig says many breakfast skippers end up overeating at night.
    — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • The bosses of two rival firms, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SpaceX’s Elon Musk, quickly concurred.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Alom is part of a group of immigrants who have arrived in the city over the past five years with the goal of starting businesses, building careers and becoming their own bosses.
    — Maykel Gonzalez, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Captains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captains. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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