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
Our commanders are aware of everything.
—
Major Garrett, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
The ranks of graduates from those campuses includes a host of current and retired commanders.
—Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Media reports say dozens of senior Iranian commanders were killed in the opening phase of the campaign, along with additional military personnel and civilians following strikes on military facilities and infrastructure.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 5 Mar. 2026
And the department says that ComplianceStat, meetings in which commanders are grilled about key issues, such as incidents in which force is used, shows the department is determined to cut down on misconduct.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
Khamenei’s death could prompt Guard commanders or its regular military to seize power more overtly.
—Lee Keath, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
After the 1989 death of Khomeini, Khamenei positioned the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its top commanders as not only the top military force in the country, but also the top economic power.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
Major Garrett, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
The ranks of graduates from those campuses includes a host of current and retired commanders.
—Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Media reports say dozens of senior Iranian commanders were killed in the opening phase of the campaign, along with additional military personnel and civilians following strikes on military facilities and infrastructure.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 5 Mar. 2026
And the department says that ComplianceStat, meetings in which commanders are grilled about key issues, such as incidents in which force is used, shows the department is determined to cut down on misconduct.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
Khamenei’s death could prompt Guard commanders or its regular military to seize power more overtly.
—Lee Keath, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
After the 1989 death of Khomeini, Khamenei positioned the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its top commanders as not only the top military force in the country, but also the top economic power.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanders
Noun
-
The Chicago Blackhawks traded away three veteran captains this week.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The Strait of Hormuz isn’t completely closed as several daring ship captains have risked attacks from Iran to transport cargoes through the narrow Persian Gulf waterway, with some claiming to be Chinese.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Now, skippers compete in races on different classes of ice boats.—
Noel Brennan,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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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
Noun
-
Rhoda says the new funding will support further research and engineering work, industrial pilots, and expansion of its robotics team.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
-
His wife, Savannah, is a captain in the Air Force and his brothers are pilots.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanders. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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