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 special prosecutor’s team has accused Yoon and his military commanders of ordering a covert drone operation into the North to inflame tensions between the neighbors and justify his martial law decree.
—
Reuters 2 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
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
Pressing On Goudreau said that the operation went ahead despite Alcalá’s arrest because the general had already given it the green light before he was charged and the commanders on the ground decided to push on.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Many of the marble mausoleums on this 14-acre spot are held by Argentina’s elite, some famous, others infamous—think past presidents, Nobel Prize winners, and military commanders.
—Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
Experts and onlookers have questioned with growing concern whether these strikes are legal, and whether military lawyers that the Pentagon has encouraged commanders to ignore had signed off on the operations.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
One of the kids, an athletic-looking teenager named Ladislav, told me that 1654 is organized into platoons that train with Kraken commanders.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025
Others, like Ghiath Dalla, a brigadier general whose forces were involved in violent repression of protests, is among several former officers plotting sabotage from Lebanon, according to ex-military commanders, who also shared text message exchanges with The Times.
—Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
With the Defense Department’s pivot to preparations for potential future conflicts in the Indo-Pacific, Camp Pendleton’s location offers opportunities no other Marine base has, commanders say.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
Reuters 2 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
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
Pressing On Goudreau said that the operation went ahead despite Alcalá’s arrest because the general had already given it the green light before he was charged and the commanders on the ground decided to push on.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Many of the marble mausoleums on this 14-acre spot are held by Argentina’s elite, some famous, others infamous—think past presidents, Nobel Prize winners, and military commanders.
—Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
Experts and onlookers have questioned with growing concern whether these strikes are legal, and whether military lawyers that the Pentagon has encouraged commanders to ignore had signed off on the operations.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
One of the kids, an athletic-looking teenager named Ladislav, told me that 1654 is organized into platoons that train with Kraken commanders.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025
Others, like Ghiath Dalla, a brigadier general whose forces were involved in violent repression of protests, is among several former officers plotting sabotage from Lebanon, according to ex-military commanders, who also shared text message exchanges with The Times.
—Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
With the Defense Department’s pivot to preparations for potential future conflicts in the Indo-Pacific, Camp Pendleton’s location offers opportunities no other Marine base has, commanders say.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanders
Noun
-
Honorary captains Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber was an honorary captain for Indiana and watched the game from the Hoosiers’ sideline.—
Charles Odum,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Honorary captains Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber was an honorary captain for Indiana and watched the game from the Hoosiers sideline.—
Charles Odum,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
In 2025, the Navy expanded its training programs for future E-6B pilots, with courses now held in Oklahoma, where the majority of the aircraft are based and operated.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Both pilots survived the crash.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanders. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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