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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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 a sizable conference room with at least four light tan leather captains chairs around a square desk, and a large TV on one wall. Bart Jansen, USA Today, 8 July 2026 Evangelista’s son said much of her frustration also stemmed from how the fire captains treated her possessions during the clean out. Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026 The two were more famously rivals in the NHL as captains of the Senators and Leafs, battling in the playoffs year after year. Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 7 July 2026 The early copy remained tucked away in Britain’s National Archives until a volunteer cataloging records from the American Revolutionary War came across it in May among the papers of Royal Navy captains. Elmira Aliieva, NBC news, 3 July 2026 Previously the top two fan vote-getters would serve as captains and select the squads. Mercury News, 2 July 2026 There may not be quite as many small-time sailors in the harbor this time, owing to the rigidity that has become inevitable since the 9/11 attacks, but plenty of weekend captains will make their way here. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 30 June 2026 The free-agent class is topped by centermen like Boone Jenner and Anders Lee, former captains with character but not necessarily top-six output. Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 28 June 2026 Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones were alternate captains at their previous stops, the Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively, with Matthew Tkachuk continuing to hold that title with Florida. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026
Verb
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captains
Noun
  • FireSat will help incident commanders get better information more quickly, and, unlike fire-spotting aircraft, the satellites can linger over a fire for days or weeks and aren’t hampered by high winds or smoke.
    Eric Niiler, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Compatibility with every Chinese carrier The J-15T’s compatibility with every Chinese carrier supports this goal by giving commanders greater flexibility during extended missions.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026
Noun
  • Platner's withdrawal caps days of turmoil that had engulfed his campaign and intensifies pressure on Democratic leaders to quickly coalesce around an alternative candidate.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 9 July 2026
  • Here's what's driving that shift—and why certain destinations are emerging as leaders in aesthetic care.
    Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
Noun
  • Set in the eponymous Texas metropolis, Dallas followed the Ewings, a powerful family of oil tycoons and ranch owners whose feuds and foibles made for wildly entertaining primetime viewing.
    Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 28 June 2026
  • Three of Paxton’s billionaire backers were Texas-native tycoons with a history of funding right-wing candidates in the state, one of whom died after his donation.
    Andrew Balaban, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • Milshtein previously served as adviser to COGAT, which supervises civilian policy in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
  • As chief of patrol, Hein supervises the most visible aspects of the Police Department that define its image in the minds of most Chicagoans, including emergency response, crisis intervention, traffic control, routine patrol and community policing efforts.
    Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Verb
  • If the business rules live in tribal knowledge, AI surfaces the gaps.
    Sanjay Srivastava, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Pahira's death comes as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has made tightening commercial driver licensing rules a top priority following multiple fatal crashes involving non-domiciled CDL holders over the past two years.
    Elaine Mallon , James Cirrone , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • The complaint also accuses G-MAC of violating Title IX, a federal law that commands gender equity in college sports.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, Lord Corlys Velaryon and his fleet have the city blockaded, while Team Black commands from Dragonstone and Daemon battles in the Riverlands and Aemond broods on the throne, which he’s taken from his maimed brother.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 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
  • Indictments unveiled by prosecutors Tuesday describe cartel-style bosses — among them Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, a former associate and now rival of Bishnoi.
    Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
  • Riedler credits Patrick Barlow, one of her first bosses at Vino Carta wine store in Little Italy, for giving her the foundation to begin building her knowledge of the world’s wine regions, grapes and terroir.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Captains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captains. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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