as in commander
one in official command especially of a military force or base
reported directly to the fort's commanding officer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of commanding officer
Instead, the War Department was assigned to care for the new Mackinac National Park, with the commanding officer at Fort Mackinac, Major Alfred L. Hough, designated as the park’s first superintendent.
—
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 June 2025
Leading the way with his endless reserves of confidence, Montagu enlists his socially inept fellow agent Charles Cholmondeley (David Cumming) to be the brains of the operation and, against all odds, manages to sell the scheme to commanding officer Johnny Bevan (Zoë Roberts).
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2025
National Guard soldiers deployed during protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles have temporarily detained civilians, according to Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, the commanding officer overseeing the response.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Fearful of being tracked by Soviet spy trawlers, the carrier’s commanding officer instructed all aircraft to turn off their radar altimeter, a device that gives a precise reading of altitude more accurately than the standard barometric altimeter.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for commanding officer
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 June 2025
Leading the way with his endless reserves of confidence, Montagu enlists his socially inept fellow agent Charles Cholmondeley (David Cumming) to be the brains of the operation and, against all odds, manages to sell the scheme to commanding officer Johnny Bevan (Zoë Roberts).
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2025
National Guard soldiers deployed during protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles have temporarily detained civilians, according to Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, the commanding officer overseeing the response.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Fearful of being tracked by Soviet spy trawlers, the carrier’s commanding officer instructed all aircraft to turn off their radar altimeter, a device that gives a precise reading of altitude more accurately than the standard barometric altimeter.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for commanding officer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding officer
Noun
-
Residents at the Slate Apartment complex in Bellevue evacuated a 12-unit block shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday due to what Nashville Fire Department’s Aaron Haddix, the commander on scene, said was called in as an appliance fire.—
Angele Latham,
The Tennessean,
16 Aug. 2025
-
National Guard patrol provokes insults, approvals National Guardsmen first appeared on this deployment in front of the Washington Monument on Aug. 12, according to photos posted by commanders and news reports.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The commandant had also stayed behind, in his office.—
Charles Pellegrino,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Prior to her appointment to commandant, Fagan served in several other leadership roles, including as vice commandant and commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
22 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commanding officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding%20officer. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share