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
Relevance
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
as in leaders
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do
we only do what the captain tells us to, so it's not our fault when things don't work out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in tycoons
a person of rank, power, or influence in a particular field
a fascinating magazine article profiling the captains of the American auto industry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in supervises
to be in charge of
if you do well on this, you'll be asked to captain the next mission
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in rules
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 commands
to serve as leader of
you did a good job of captaining the team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of captains
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
Karavedas said his vision for the program is visible in Fullerton’s captains.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
With its iconic captains, philosophical dilemmas and unforgettable alien encounters, the Trek universe is rich with lore, logic, and a whole lot of technobabble.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2025
With fellow linebacker Tano Letuli missing all or parts of four games due to injury, Chambliss has taken his game to another level to make up for the absence of his good friend and one of the team’s captains.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2025
The outlet did not specify if the captains were on board when the incident took place.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
Here’s the full list of countries and their captains.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Among the Patriots’ six captains, four were on the team last season, and three played under Belichick, including cornerback Marcus Jones.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
While the two captains will have a pivotal role for this year’s squad, each returning player has goals of leading in different ways.
—Joseph Pastilha, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
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
Karavedas said his vision for the program is visible in Fullerton’s captains.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
With its iconic captains, philosophical dilemmas and unforgettable alien encounters, the Trek universe is rich with lore, logic, and a whole lot of technobabble.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2025
With fellow linebacker Tano Letuli missing all or parts of four games due to injury, Chambliss has taken his game to another level to make up for the absence of his good friend and one of the team’s captains.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2025
The outlet did not specify if the captains were on board when the incident took place.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
Here’s the full list of countries and their captains.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Among the Patriots’ six captains, four were on the team last season, and three played under Belichick, including cornerback Marcus Jones.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
While the two captains will have a pivotal role for this year’s squad, each returning player has goals of leading in different ways.
—Joseph Pastilha, Kansas City Star, 16 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
-
Many of the marble mausoleums on this 14-acre spot are held by Argentina’s elite, some famous, others infamous—think past presidents, Nobel Prize winners, and military commanders.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Experts and onlookers have questioned with growing concern whether these strikes are legal, and whether military lawyers that the Pentagon has encouraged commanders to ignore had signed off on the operations.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
However, Washington and Pyongyang haven’t hinted at any meeting between the leaders ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, as attention is focused on trade talks with China’s Xi Jinping over a growing trade spat.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
What entity should take the lead on protecting Gastonia’s most vulnerable during extreme heat or cold, and how can city and county leaders, and partner organizations, better work together?—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Recent years have seen these tycoons entering into the world of politics.—
Senior Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 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
-
Read below to find out what rules contestants must abide by in order to compete in the international competition.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Everyone knows that some form of Hamas—skinned of the top echelon of its leadership—has survived and rules the parts of Gaza that Israel never fully occupied.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The news came as about 300 people marched in a circle in front of the entrance to Coast Guard Island, an artificial island between Oakland and Alameda that houses several major United States Coast Guard commands.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Catturd commands significant influence online.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 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
-
Captains of both sides had been together in backing the resistance of their players’ union to the idea of La Liga games being played outside Spain — and such unanimity was important for the players to have a chance of taking on their bosses.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
They are being told by their bosses what works based on data and research.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captains. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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