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
Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
Some ship captains may take their time to determine if the passage is safe.
—Michelle Chapman, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Average annual compensation for service members, including allowances for housing and other expenses, began at $57,604 in 2025 and topped $228,000 for colonels and captains, according to the agency.
—Tom Huddleston Jr.
megan Sauer, CNBC, 15 June 2026
Tottenham legend and current Los Angeles FC star Son Heung-min captains South Korea, but is far from the only noteworthy player on the team.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Poulin captains and is the leading scorer for the Montréal Victoire of the Professional Women’s Hockey League; she was named Playoff MVP after the team won its first championship in May.
—Avery Stone, Time, 9 June 2026
Afternoon showers are common but usually brief, and captains can adjust routes to avoid rough seas.
—Linnea Bailey, Southern Living, 9 June 2026
Seven European captains threatened to defy an order against wearing them, until, hours before England’s opening kickoff, FIFA announced that each would receive a yellow card.
—Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Though the captains have collaborated more than in years past, Hansen admits trust still only goes so far among fishermen.
—Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
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
Noun
In just three months, 1,800 homes have joined the project, which is managed by more than 220 block captains in neighborhoods throughout DC.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
Some ship captains may take their time to determine if the passage is safe.
—Michelle Chapman, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Average annual compensation for service members, including allowances for housing and other expenses, began at $57,604 in 2025 and topped $228,000 for colonels and captains, according to the agency.
—Tom Huddleston Jr.
megan Sauer, CNBC, 15 June 2026
Tottenham legend and current Los Angeles FC star Son Heung-min captains South Korea, but is far from the only noteworthy player on the team.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Poulin captains and is the leading scorer for the Montréal Victoire of the Professional Women’s Hockey League; she was named Playoff MVP after the team won its first championship in May.
—Avery Stone, Time, 9 June 2026
Afternoon showers are common but usually brief, and captains can adjust routes to avoid rough seas.
—Linnea Bailey, Southern Living, 9 June 2026
Seven European captains threatened to defy an order against wearing them, until, hours before England’s opening kickoff, FIFA announced that each would receive a yellow card.
—Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Though the captains have collaborated more than in years past, Hansen admits trust still only goes so far among fishermen.
—Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 4 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
-
By combining an unmanned vessel with a hypersonic strike system, the companies hope to give commanders more choices for future naval missions.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
12 June 2026
-
Since then, America has waged plenty of other wars in all but name, with presidents liberally interpreting their role as commanders-in-chief (also mentioned in the Constitution).—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
After the official signing of the 14-point peace plan between the United States and Iran, world leaders have welcomed the diplomatic efforts.—
Pamela Avila,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
-
Tech executives and other business leaders oppose the idea and have threatened to move to other states.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Greek shipping tycoons, Morley said, may be intrigued by the glory of owning Onassis’s yacht; Middle Eastern oil magnates could have the means to buy a pricey piece of history.—
Michael Ballaban,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
For the manifesto’s authors, a just fashion system enriches the lives of workers, their families and their communities, not the coffers of billionaire fashion tycoons.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
1 May 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
-
Judge rules Brad Raffensperger doesn’t have to let anyone watch his office compile results on election night.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
15 June 2026
-
For the first time in 53 years, New York rules the NBA.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
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,
20 June 2026
-
Isar Aerospace still commands top position among a new generation of European rocket startups, but the company’s efforts to launch a critical test flight of its Spectrum rocket continue to encounter roadblocks, Ars reports.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Ludwig says many breakfast skippers end up overeating at night.—
Lynn Andriani,
Martha Stewart,
13 May 2026
-
In terms of skippers, our Frank Selee might rightly be considered more philosopher than a pugilist.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
New laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut and Illinois seek to curb AI bias, rein in ‘robo bosses’ and protect children from opaque, emotionally manipulative chatbots.—
Marc Levy,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Happily the Beemer bosses have taken the latter road.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Captains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captains. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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