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
Lemley held the kitten in his arms for a few minutes before handing it off to the commander of the United Cajun Navy, a volunteer disaster-response group, who dried it off and took it to safety.
—
ABC News, 7 May 2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that Israel had targeted the commander of the elite Radwan force.
—Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Wednesday’s strike, which came without warning, targeted a commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force.
—Joshua Boak, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Coffey reported the information to State Fair Police Chief Ron Knafla, who is also a Ramsey County sheriff’s office commander.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for commander
ABC News, 7 May 2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that Israel had targeted the commander of the elite Radwan force.
—Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Wednesday’s strike, which came without warning, targeted a commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force.
—Joshua Boak, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Coffey reported the information to State Fair Police Chief Ron Knafla, who is also a Ramsey County sheriff’s office commander.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
Noun
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Admiral Kevin Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard, said the discovery reconnects the service to a defining moment in its history.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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Previously, warfare was about expensive platforms and precision strikes, driving a downsizing in military forces as countries increasingly relied on cutting-edge technology, said Blythe Crawford, former commandant of the RAF’s Air and Space Warfare Centre.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Dejan Joveljic capitalized on a gift of a back-pass from the Sounders captain, and Sporting earned a result against a Sounders side that had failed to win only twice in 2026.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
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Since 1992, Ronnie has been the captain of this distinctive part of New Orleans’ culinary history.—
George Motz,
Southern Living,
6 May 2026
Noun
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In terms of skippers, our Frank Selee might rightly be considered more philosopher than a pugilist.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
6 May 2026
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The skipper started off his pregame press conference by sending condolences to the Yankees and to the Sterling family.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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