commanders

plural of commander
1
as in commandants
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 captains
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 commanders Five categories of spies are described, and espionage is treated as essential to providing rulers and commanders with the foreknowledge needed to make informed strategic decisions. Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026 Two deputy chiefs also retired earlier this year — one of them not voluntarily — leaving the department without its highest-ranking commanders. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026 Top fire commanders decided not to deploy roughly 1,000 extra firefighters and dozens of engines in advance of the fire. Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Also forbidden was anything that emphasized the suffering of soldiers or revealed the pettiness of commanders. Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026 Lukas was escorting commanders from Barksdale Air Force Base. Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026 The aircraft’s multi-role design also gives commanders greater flexibility in employing it for different missions rather than limiting it to the traditional air-superiority role associated with earlier Eagle variants. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026 Rassvet had been in the works for years, but the timing of the first Rassvet launch the following month offered Russian military commanders hope of soon regaining access to ubiquitous satellite broadband through a domestic network. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026 Rather than immediately exposing maneuver forces to direct contact, Russian commanders typically first attempt to inflict sufficient losses on Ukrainian defenders to make the subsequent assault more manageable. Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanders
Noun
  • Roberts already has earned the respect of players such as senior defender Hutch Stuckert, one of the team’s captains.
    Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Willis was sacked five times, Achane barely had running lanes and captains Patrick Paul and Aaron Brewer committed back-to-back holding penalties in the second quarter.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The American League and National League teams will be managed by John Schneider and Dave Roberts, respectively, the skippers of last year’s World Series clubs.
    Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Ludwig says many breakfast skippers end up overeating at night.
    Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • The tragedy has prompted soul-searching in the world of TV news helicopter pilots and focused attention on safety issues.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The unit – cobbled together from pilots without units – shot down or destroyed more than 200 Japanese planes from August 1943 to January 1944.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Commanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanders. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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