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
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
The captains of each side will then proceed to the coin toss.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 4 June 2026
The array’s buoys also help maintain critical weather readings for boats in the area, alerting captains when dangerous weather is imminent.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
And that’s a hopeful timeline, given the hurdles of demining, returning confidence to captains and insurers, and bringing in a legion of empty tankers to stock up — and the risk that one errant drone could reset the whole process to square one.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 2 June 2026
Start with the impact made by senior co-captains Adriana Vasquez Duran and Emily Sandoval — on and off the field.
—Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 2 June 2026
Senior captains Reding and Selena Wu are leading the team to snag a repeat victory.
—Marielle Mohs, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Marriott said the opposition appeared to be the final straw for his superiors, who informed staff that the department would shift the responsibilities of captains.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
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
Virgil Van Dijk, Netherlands defender Virgil Van Dijk, who captains Liverpool, has widely been regarded as the best defender in the world for the last eight years.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 7 Dec. 2025
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
Noun
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
The captains of each side will then proceed to the coin toss.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 4 June 2026
The array’s buoys also help maintain critical weather readings for boats in the area, alerting captains when dangerous weather is imminent.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
And that’s a hopeful timeline, given the hurdles of demining, returning confidence to captains and insurers, and bringing in a legion of empty tankers to stock up — and the risk that one errant drone could reset the whole process to square one.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 2 June 2026
Start with the impact made by senior co-captains Adriana Vasquez Duran and Emily Sandoval — on and off the field.
—Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 2 June 2026
Senior captains Reding and Selena Wu are leading the team to snag a repeat victory.
—Marielle Mohs, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Marriott said the opposition appeared to be the final straw for his superiors, who informed staff that the department would shift the responsibilities of captains.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
Verb
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
Virgil Van Dijk, Netherlands defender Virgil Van Dijk, who captains Liverpool, has widely been regarded as the best defender in the world for the last eight years.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 7 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captains
Noun
-
By allowing drone video feeds to be shared within larger command networks, operators and commanders can gain a more comprehensive view of ongoing operations.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
-
Many Naxal commanders are not taken alive.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Investigating active government officials in Mexico is a new strategy for the United States, which in the past refrained from targeting sitting leaders in allied countries with criminal investigations because of the clear political ramifications.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Beyond their immediate impact, experts say such attacks are part of a broader Russian strategy to sow fear among ordinary people and increase public pressure on Ukraine’s leaders to end the war.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 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
-
The team did well to have Dart and Carter both address the media, which was not required based on the NFL’s offseason rules for player availability.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2026
-
Right now, rules governing who pays when disaster strikes are too often opaque, inequitable, and poorly designed to incentivise prevention.—
Nina Seega,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
In addition to the Hot Country Songs ranking, the single also commands the Digital Song Sales, Country Streaming Songs and Country Digital Song Sales lists.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Competing on mission, not salary In a labor market where specialized talent commands premium salaries, the Corps can’t always match private-sector compensation.—
Alena Conley,
USA Today,
4 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
-
Above the factory floor, the big bosses determined our production goals for the day, as usual.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Fortunately, discussions with bosses and authority figures will go well.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Captains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captains. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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