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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026
Xi’s expected to be a commanding presence as host, opposite a US president known more for relying on gut instinct than meticulous preparation.
—Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 4 May 2026
And then there’s Bottner’s singing voice; from the deepest corner of his lungs comes a commanding bellow with a low, rattling timbre, like a cross between Bill Callahan and Jason Molina.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 22 Apr. 2026
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Early election returns Tuesday night showed Placer County Supervisor Shanti Landon on track to win reelection outright, holding a commanding lead over challenger Holly Andreatta in the race for the county’s 2nd District seat.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding
Adjective
Lebidine’s last assignment was as the commanding general of the 4th Marine Division from November 2015 to April 2017.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026
Xi’s expected to be a commanding presence as host, opposite a US president known more for relying on gut instinct than meticulous preparation.
—Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
Noun
Cole, a contractor who specializes in building restaurants, is the Lexington Minute Men's captain commanding.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 4 May 2026
And then there’s Bottner’s singing voice; from the deepest corner of his lungs comes a commanding bellow with a low, rattling timbre, like a cross between Bill Callahan and Jason Molina.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
While the Giants had a chance to spoil Harrison’s predictable revenge game, the Brewers effectively put the game to rest by scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth to create a commanding five-run lead.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Early election returns Tuesday night showed Placer County Supervisor Shanti Landon on track to win reelection outright, holding a commanding lead over challenger Holly Andreatta in the race for the county’s 2nd District seat.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding
Adjective
-
Whoop's co-founders spearheaded the computer science and mechanical engineering elements, with Nicolae becoming chief hardware engineer.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Blair Baek,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
-
Amazon initially reserved launches on all of the West’s commercially available heavy-lift rockets except those from SpaceX, which owns Starlink, Amazon Leo’s chief competitor.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Her husband, Vali Chandrasekaran, is a prominent television writer.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
In the microbiome of mice with worse survival, the researchers also noticed that one strain of bacteria — Sangeribacter muris KT1-3 — was most prominent.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Taylor’s career has evolved across music, film, television, directing and fashion.—
Naomi Jeffries,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
-
Presented by The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, the Tony Awards are considered the most prestigious honors in theater, recognizing excellence across acting, directing, design and more.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Earlier this month, CBS News reported that lawyers for the center were instructing staff to immediately begin the process of switching the name of the facility back to its original title.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Businesses have been boarding up storefronts in Geneva, a center for United Nations offices, while some institutions like the World Trade Organization, which faced anti-capitalist protests in Seattle in the 1990s, are closing offices and instructing staff to work remotely.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
In bodycam footage, officers are heard ordering the driver to turn the vehicle off.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
-
Several students testified that Metcalf, after ordering Anthony to leave his team’s tent, scoffed before Anthony reached a hand into a bag and pulled out a knife.—
Jamie Stengle,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
State regulations require specific teacher-to-child ratios, and those ratios become especially demanding with infants and toddlers.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
-
Addressing reporters for the first time since The Associated Press projected a November runoff between her and Mayor Karen Bass, Raman said residents are losing faith in the city’s ability to solve even basic problems and are demanding a different approach.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Of note, recognizing these concerns, the commission voted in December 2025 to establish an ad hoc Governance Committee to review all governing documents and create policies and procedures to allow the pension commission to fulfill its fiduciary duties.—
Helen I. Bennett,
Hartford Courant,
8 June 2026
-
Nepal currently lacks a legal framework governing robotic expeditions on Everest.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Before Mexico-South Africa kicks off here in a few minutes, FIFA is marching in all 48 flags for the countries participating in the tournament and having the flag-bearers stand in a circle at midfield.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
The genre by definition requires re-enactments, and does the act of gathering a bunch actors and going to Tehran (or Morocco) give more credibility to the project than having a computer do it?—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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