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
Relevance
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
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 commander
Nearly 20 years ago, a 40-year-old mother of two and a sister of a Miami Police commander was killed in a Hialeah car crash by a woman who ran a flashing red light and had a blood-alcohol level over twice the legal driving limit, prosecutors say.
—
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
His fellow referees dressed as a fisherman, an admiral and a commander.
—M.l. Elrick, Freep.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The first was Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Admiral Allen also worked seamlessly with General Russell Honoré, commander of the joint military force assigned to provide manpower, vehicles and logistical support to the relief effort.
—Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commander
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
His fellow referees dressed as a fisherman, an admiral and a commander.
—M.l. Elrick, Freep.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The first was Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Admiral Allen also worked seamlessly with General Russell Honoré, commander of the joint military force assigned to provide manpower, vehicles and logistical support to the relief effort.
—Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
Noun
-
The commandant had also stayed behind, in his office.—
Charles Pellegrino,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Mahoney also performed the duties of acting commandant of the Marine Corps from November 2023 to March 2024 after Gen. Eric Smith suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Casemiro knows the drill and plays a one-touch pass to find his captain, who sets up Hojlund.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
After being bitten, David Burrows applied a tourniquet to his son’s leg to stop the bleeding, and a commercial dive captain who stopped his boat to render aid, Richard Hayden, 33, applied a second tourniquet, according to a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office incident report.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As the skipper in New York from 1984-1990, Johnson led the Mets to an iconic seven-game series win against the Boston Red Sox in the 1986 World Series, after the team won a staggering 108 games in the regular season.—
Thomas Schlachter,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Everything used to be built around England getting over the line, and the skipper was happy to exile any player who might burst the bubble.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share