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
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Recent Examples of commanders
Iran launched multiple waves of missile and drone attacks at Israeli targets during that conflict, which started after Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran last year, killing several top military commanders and nuclear scientists.
—
Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
Tuesday, during a status hearing in the ongoing consent decree, Snelling said the department’s 22 district commanders will soon face heightened scrutiny for officer misconduct allegations and the subsequent investigations into those claims.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2026
The blaze was threatening a neighboring four-story apartment building so commanders ordered firefighters to defend it, the department said.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Israel also killed senior Iranian commanders and struck symbolic regime targets.
—Karl Vick, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
Behind the scenes, however, sources say panic is spreading within the armed forces, as commanders struggle to understand who is really in charge — and how far the United States is willing to go.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2026
Many military commanders were killed.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026
For many of these commanders, losing power would mean losing wealth and potentially their life.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Fort Worth commanders placed Johnson on restricted duty for the duration of the incomplete criminal and Internal Affairs Unit administrative investigations, according to a department spokesperson.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2025
Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
Tuesday, during a status hearing in the ongoing consent decree, Snelling said the department’s 22 district commanders will soon face heightened scrutiny for officer misconduct allegations and the subsequent investigations into those claims.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2026
The blaze was threatening a neighboring four-story apartment building so commanders ordered firefighters to defend it, the department said.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Israel also killed senior Iranian commanders and struck symbolic regime targets.
—Karl Vick, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
Behind the scenes, however, sources say panic is spreading within the armed forces, as commanders struggle to understand who is really in charge — and how far the United States is willing to go.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2026
Many military commanders were killed.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026
For many of these commanders, losing power would mean losing wealth and potentially their life.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Fort Worth commanders placed Johnson on restricted duty for the duration of the incomplete criminal and Internal Affairs Unit administrative investigations, according to a department spokesperson.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanders
Noun
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Tech entrepreneurs eyeing cannabis resembled the ship captains of the age of exploration.—
Scott Eden,
Rolling Stone,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Team captains, including Harold Landry and Marcus Jones, said Williams’ presence alone inspired him.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Keep your eyes open for Martial and Mallow scrub-hairstreaks, lyside sulphurs, malachites, and a variety of skippers fluttering among the blooms.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Dec. 2025
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Yacht skippers do this with a compass, log, chart, dividers, a straightedge, and a bit of luck, as do small plane pilots.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Court documents filed in December by the Department of Justice as part of a civil lawsuit brought last year by the family of a passenger killed on flight 5342 show the US government admitting failures by the Black Hawk pilots and a controller in the Reagan National Airport tower.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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Investigators said controllers in the Reagan tower had been overly reliant on asking pilots to spot other aircraft and maintain visual separation.—
Gary Fields,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanders. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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