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
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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
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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
John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
He's gone from about halfway down the list in the betting odds to having a pretty commanding lead over Johnson in Atlanta.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Adam Mansuroglu, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2026
Lay users chatting with chatbots are having an entirely different experience compared to people at the frontier commanding fleets.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
City Councilmember Nithya Raman had a commanding lead, with 33% of voters supporting her, while Bass trailed at 17%, according to the poll by the Loyola Marymount University Center for the Study of Los Angeles.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding
Adjective
Republicans have a less commanding lead, 52-44, among Catholics.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
He's gone from about halfway down the list in the betting odds to having a pretty commanding lead over Johnson in Atlanta.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
Go back long enough and pink was considered entirely appropriate for creating a commanding, masculine look.
—Adam Mansuroglu, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2026
Lay users chatting with chatbots are having an entirely different experience compared to people at the frontier commanding fleets.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
From his crisp, commanding vocals to his easy, magnetic charm, Morrison moved seamlessly through Darin’s catalog, balancing showmanship with quieter, more introspective moments that revealed the man behind the music.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
City Councilmember Nithya Raman had a commanding lead, with 33% of voters supporting her, while Bass trailed at 17%, according to the poll by the Loyola Marymount University Center for the Study of Los Angeles.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding
Adjective
-
Take, for example, Wiseman's words on one of Orientale's prominent features.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
7 Apr. 2026
-
George Welsh’s father, James, was a prominent and wealthy real estate magnate in Kansas City.—
Patrick Salland,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The controversy may have negatively impacted Best Actor Oscar chances for his performance in Josh Safdie’s solo directing effort, Marty Supreme.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Ryan Gosling will no longer star in the next film from the Oscar-winning directing duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Variety has confirmed.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ahead of the challenge, the players met at a beach and read a note instructing them to find an advantage that would grant one player power, leading to an immediate and rampant scramble through the island.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
LeVota did implement a cap on commercial properties by instructing county staff to manually adjust the values of more than 6,200 spaces.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Contact retailers for questions about products before ordering.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Scully granted the petition on December 20, 2024, ordering Dick to stay a minimum of 100 yards away from Buckingham, his wife, his son, their homes, and their vehicles for five years, and barring her from contacting the Buckingham family in any way.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
She’s taken to social media, demanding answers alongside thousands of other West Virginians who have been posting screenshots of their monthly charges.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Texas Ranger introduces bodycam video Prosecutors have begun playing video of law enforcement interrogations of Tanner Horner, beginning with Texas Ranger Job Espinoza demanding that Horner tell him where Athena is and asking if the child was alive or dead when Horner left her.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But people familiar with OpenAI’s governing documents said that it has been diluted to the point of meaninglessness.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Big Chief Howard Miller 60 Minutes Howard Miller is the president of the Mardi Gras Indian Council, a governing body for the tribes, and chief of the Creole Wild West.—
Nichole Marks,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Parents love having an easy, reusable activity for restaurants, travel days, sleepovers or quiet time at home.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Blue Owl, which is unique in having two of these nontraded private credit funds, is also among the last to report redemptions.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
DeGrom was back on the mound on Monday and unsurprisingly rebounded in dominating fashion, giving up one run off one hit with six strikeouts in five innings with his four-seam fastball as his most effective pitch, throwing it 44% of the time and accounting for five of his strikeouts.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2026
-
After dominating Arizona in the Final Four, the Wolverines were heavily favored going into Monday’s matchup.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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