as in commander
one in official command especially of a military force or base
reported directly to the fort's commanding officer
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Recent Examples of commanding officer
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
Captain Chris Hill, commanding officer of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, was named as interim commander.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
Soldiers acted on commanding officers’ orders, according to the officer who spoke to the AP.
—Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
In a statement released on Sunday, the military said a commanding officer is to be reprimanded.
—James MacKenzie and Alexander Cornwell, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commanding officer
Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025
Captain Chris Hill, commanding officer of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, was named as interim commander.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
Soldiers acted on commanding officers’ orders, according to the officer who spoke to the AP.
—Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
In a statement released on Sunday, the military said a commanding officer is to be reprimanded.
—James MacKenzie and Alexander Cornwell, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commanding officer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding officer
Noun
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Vern Jumper, the courageous Navy commander who helped more than 3,000 Americans and South Vietnamese refugees flee Saigon during the final hours of the Vietnam War, died at home in La Mesa on July 4.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 July 2025
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That is starting to change, with US Space Force commanders now openly discussing their own ambitions for offensive and defensive counter-space weapons.—
Robert Pearlman,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
Noun
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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
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Mahoney also performed the duties of acting commandant of the Marine Corps from November 2023 to March 2024 after Gen. Eric Smith suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commanding officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding%20officer. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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