1
as in commandant
one in official command especially of a military force or base
a surrender of the fort by the commander without a single shot having been fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in captain
a person in overall command of a ship
the intrepid commander of the HMS Surprise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of commander
With the Defense Department’s pivot to preparations for potential future conflicts in the Indo-Pacific, Camp Pendleton’s location offers opportunities no other Marine base has, commanders say.
—
Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
That attempt succeeded when Randrianirina, commander of the elite CAPSAT force, claimed the interim presidency and insisted a military council would rule for the time being.
—John Joseph Chin, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
The commander will have a foreign deputy, who would be the equivalent of a two-star officer, the officials said.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2025
The San Jose Police Department — whose officers have been involved in several of the shootings that inspired the bill — declined comment, citing the unavailability of police commanders authorized to speak for the agency on the issue.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commander
Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
That attempt succeeded when Randrianirina, commander of the elite CAPSAT force, claimed the interim presidency and insisted a military council would rule for the time being.
—John Joseph Chin, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
The commander will have a foreign deputy, who would be the equivalent of a two-star officer, the officials said.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2025
The San Jose Police Department — whose officers have been involved in several of the shootings that inspired the bill — declined comment, citing the unavailability of police commanders authorized to speak for the agency on the issue.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
Noun
-
The story behind how Rudolph morphed into history’s most prolific killer during his tenure as commandant of Nazi Germany’s most notorious camp is still something of a mystery to his grandson.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
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In all, Camp Pendleton has 13,602 rooms, but only 11,692 were usable and only 2,393 met the commandant’s new standards, officials said.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Despite playing just 30 minutes against West Ham, the Arsenal captain ended the game with the joint-most line-breaking passes in the final third (four).—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Her father was a Cincinnati police captain, and two of her uncles were lieutenants.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
If this were indeed the case, then the next skipper should be the exact opposite — easy on the crew and rough on the passengers.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Oct. 2025
-
After the game, The skipper recounted the conversation.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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