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
The lengthening deployments come as Ukrainian commanders in other units have warned of personnel issues, acknowledging that the army will never match the manpower of Russia’s far larger military force.
—
Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
But Republicans have made no effort to compel military commanders or members of the president's Cabinet to appear publicly and under oath answer questions from lawmakers.
—Arkansas Online, 15 Apr. 2026
The targets were not rocket launchers or weapons depots, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but the nerve centers of the organization — command rooms, intelligence headquarters and offices where Hezbollah commanders planned the next stage of the fight.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
By contrast, Russian drones have lagged as the Kremlin focuses on mass production of a few models over innovation, while senior military commanders have also been resistant to change, ISW said.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Despite the damage inflicted during the war—including the loss of senior commanders and military infrastructure—the Iranian state remains intact, and so does its core capacity for deterrence.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Holding commanders to account for alleged misconduct of Australian special forces between 2005 and 2016 had been recommended in the war crime investigation report made public in 2020.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
He was killed on March 17 in an overnight Israeli airstrike on a Basij combat tent, where he was stationed with other Basij commanders.
—Keely Bastow, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
Lower-level commanders have the authority to conduct certain types of operations without approval from central command, if contact with Tehran is disrupted or lost–an operational guideline stemming from Iran’s observations of how the US attacked Iraq.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
But Republicans have made no effort to compel military commanders or members of the president's Cabinet to appear publicly and under oath answer questions from lawmakers.
—Arkansas Online, 15 Apr. 2026
The targets were not rocket launchers or weapons depots, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but the nerve centers of the organization — command rooms, intelligence headquarters and offices where Hezbollah commanders planned the next stage of the fight.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
By contrast, Russian drones have lagged as the Kremlin focuses on mass production of a few models over innovation, while senior military commanders have also been resistant to change, ISW said.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Despite the damage inflicted during the war—including the loss of senior commanders and military infrastructure—the Iranian state remains intact, and so does its core capacity for deterrence.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Holding commanders to account for alleged misconduct of Australian special forces between 2005 and 2016 had been recommended in the war crime investigation report made public in 2020.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
He was killed on March 17 in an overnight Israeli airstrike on a Basij combat tent, where he was stationed with other Basij commanders.
—Keely Bastow, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
Lower-level commanders have the authority to conduct certain types of operations without approval from central command, if contact with Tehran is disrupted or lost–an operational guideline stemming from Iran’s observations of how the US attacked Iraq.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanders
Noun
-
Kaneland doesn’t have designated team captains, but as one of only four seniors, Woods takes her leadership role seriously.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
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Which means that captains had to go right by Iran's shores to get through the Strait … effectively creating a chokepoint for the global economy.—
James Sneed,
NPR,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s also a growing crop of youngish skippers who made the managerial turn quite quickly after their playing days.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
10 Apr. 2026
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Now, skippers compete in races on different classes of ice boats.—
Noel Brennan,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And the health contribution caps for screenwriters, pilots, and overall deals, they’ve been frozen for over 20 years.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
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Air traffic control told the pilots to turn right, which put them on a potential collision course with another 737 that had been cleared for takeoff from a parallel runway.—
Kris Van Cleave,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanders. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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