1
as in presiding
highest in rank or authority
with the death of the general, he instantly became the commanding officer on the field of battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prominent
likely to attract attention
even in a room filled with world leaders, he was a commanding presence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in directing
Related Words
1
as in instructing
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority
the general commanded his troops with Caesar-like imperiousness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ordering
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority
the governor has commanded that all state flags be flown at half-mast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in demanding
to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority
an act of courage that commands the admiration of all who witnessed it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in governing
to exercise authority or power over
a cabinet secretary who commands the largest department in the federal government
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5
as in having
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
local government does not command the resources that are needed to respond to such a huge disaster
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in dominating
to look down on
for centuries an imposing castle has commanded that stretch of the river
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7
as in leading
to serve as leader of
the head of the agency commands an army of workers trained to respond to the immediate needs of disaster victims
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in asking
to set or receive as a price
commands a high fee for his decorating services
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of commanding
Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
Peck joined the Blue Angels after serving as the commanding officer for the Fighting Checkmates of VFA-211.
—Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
Shea’s commanding lead was not at all unexpected.
—Austin Sanders, Austin American Statesman, 3 Mar. 2026
John M. Bremen, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Tenants on the structure’s higher levels will be able to occupy residences with commanding views.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding
Adjective
When nominations for the 2026 ACM Awards were announced earlier this month, the commanding storyline was the dominance by women as nominees.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
Peck joined the Blue Angels after serving as the commanding officer for the Fighting Checkmates of VFA-211.
—Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
With his unmistakable voice and commanding presence, Dance has left his mark on everything from and Alien 3 (1992) and Michael Collins (1996) to Game of Thrones (2011–2015) and The Crown (2019–2020).
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
Shea’s commanding lead was not at all unexpected.
—Austin Sanders, Austin American Statesman, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
In 2026, reputational risk is commanding greater boardroom attention as trust declines, scrutiny intensifies and new risks arise.
—John M. Bremen, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Tenants on the structure’s higher levels will be able to occupy residences with commanding views.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding
Adjective
-
References to gambling during NBA games analyzed by The Post appeared on average in 1 of every 3 minutes and were often prominent.—
Luke Connors,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
-
Romano’s sturdy book may not stint on examples of Mary’s bad behavior—including a ferociously jealous verbal assault, near the end of the war, on the wife of a prominent Union general—but the biographer keeps tilting against those who slighted Mary in even the most superficial ways.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Pre-production on the pic is has begun, with Tan overseeing the action design in collaboration with a fight choreographer and Roel Reiné (Classified) directing.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
-
Their directing is relentless, inventive, and unforgettable.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Cosyland is instructing consumers to contact the company for repair parts, which include protective nets, stabilizing feet and installation instructions.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
On Thursday, Hoskin’s office sent out a news release instructing local election authorities across the state to continue election preparation activities, like candidate filing and ballot programming, based on the congressional districts established under the gerrymandered map.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Rebecca Cliffe of the Sloth Conservation Foundation and Sam Trull of the Sloth Institute, organizations based in Costa Rica, arrived in Central Florida last week to speak with state and local authorities and zoo officials about the matter, culminating in FWC ordering the temporary suspension.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 May 2026
-
In September 1960, Fidel Castro’s government published a decree ordering the confiscation of all of it without compensation.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Without oxygen, a variety of processes shut down — especially in metabolically demanding tissues such as the brain.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
13 May 2026
-
The union is reportedly demanding that Samsung allocate 15% of its operating profit to workers as performance bonuses, scrap caps on bonus payouts, and formalize the bonus structure.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, only one in five companies has a mature model for governing autonomous AI agents, even as agentic AI usage is poised to rise sharply, per the same report.—
Shiv Kaushik,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Reliance on external infrastructure therefore risks leaving African countries dependent not only on foreign technology providers, but on foreign legal frameworks governing sensitive health information.—
Francisca Mutapi,
semafor.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
More about Richard Glossip's case Glossip is accused of having his boss, Barry Van Treese, an Oklahoma City motel owner, killed in 1997 to keep from being fired for embezzlement.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
The Giants’ defense will feel the sting of not having Dexter Lawrence in the middle anymore during this one.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Getty Images Hello, this is Katie Foley writing to you from London, where Downing Street is dominating the agenda.—
Katie Foley,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
-
Waters isn’t dominating only on the court.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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