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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in dominating
to look down on
for centuries an imposing castle has commanded that stretch of the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Kaplan has commanding, comical moments throughout the play but shines in one of the play’s most memorable.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 26 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
The young midfielder has started both of Bay’s games so far this season as the team seeks to redefine itself under new coach Emma Coates, with Hutton commanding the middle of the pitch.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Kaplan has commanding, comical moments throughout the play but shines in one of the play’s most memorable.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding
Adjective
-
Strangely, as social media has moved from the text of status updates and tweets to short video, verbal commentary has actually grown more prominent and more viral.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Piker is one of the few prominent left-wing voices operating in digital spaces where young men congregate.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The series has also picked up a number of craft awards, including for directing, photography and lighting, casting, sound and lighting.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Alongside directing, Laxe also co-wrote the screenplay with Santiago Fillol.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
According to MySA, signs appeared at certain Buc-ee’s fuel pumps instructing customers using a credit or debit card to pay at the pump.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Mar. 2026
-
That sense of normalcy largely held until Wednesday evening, when emergency alerts began chiming on phones across Riyadh, warning residents of an aerial threat and instructing them to remain indoors and away from windows.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola was served with a warrant ordering him to appear in court next month in relation to an investigation into a reportedly corrupt contract to provide health and well-being services to police officers, police spokesperson Brig.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Israel has announced multiple expansions of its operations in Lebanon since the Iran war began, including airstrikes across the country and ground forces seizing ground in the south and ordering tens of thousands of civilians to flee.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Neither Republican senators, who made the latest offer, nor Democrats, who are demanding more changes in immigration enforcement, appeared closer to a compromise.—
LISA MASCARO,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But demanding a premium to hold gilts is not new.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Brilliant, strong, visionary, a far different approach to governing as that nation’s first woman leader.—
Kevin Powell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Despite these risks, the five-year plans governing the expensive and time-consuming cleanups at the sites often failed to account for damage posed by flooding from sea-level rise and more frequent storms and wildfire, the IG’s review found.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Videos on the Instagram page for the restaurant show a packed establishment late at night with young people having fun and drinking, with a long line outside.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Azimi said having Pahlavi as the head of Iran would bring democracy back to the country and end the humanitarian crisis there.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Stacy Jennings posted 2 hits, 2 RBIs and a walk while also dominating in the circle, allowing three hits and zero earned runs.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The goal is to make human-AI collaboration tools as fundable and attractive as the autonomous systems currently dominating AI investment.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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