COMMANDMENTS Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

commandments

noun

plural of commandment

as in instructions

a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned the boss left behind a list of commandments for running the office while he was away

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 commandments This is, of course, the conception of fundamentalist theology, which threatens eternal hellfire for anyone who defies its commandments. — Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026 Wilde’s nine buttercream commandments show home bakers how to create visually striking, deeply personal cakes. — Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 After the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, interpreters understood Temple service broadly in terms of study, prayer, and upholding the commandments. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026 Treat them as starting points, not commandments. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026 Paxton filed a lawsuit against Galveston ISD after the school board voted against placing the commandments in classrooms. — Haajrah Gilani, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026 Consider these our contemporary cupcake commandments, illustrated by three new recipes that are, as Carrie would say, fabulous. — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026 And as for her new commandments? — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026 After all, Moses famously spent 40 days and 40 nights alone on Mount Sinai before receiving the 10 commandments from God, and Buddha meditated for 49 days under a Bodhi tree before reaching enlightenment. — Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandments

Noun

For Gmail users, Google provides instructions for securing a hacked account.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
The system would also be designed to respond proactively to events, rather than waiting for explicit instructions.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of instructions

Noun

But this exploitation of Catholic bishops who were praying for their president, not delivering papal edicts with political patinas, feels especially repulsive.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
In the years that followed, predatory land purchases, restrictive edicts, and forced displacement further diminished their ranks.

— Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of edicts

Noun

An independent investigation by a group of experts into the canopy collapse found the renovation work had been rushed under political orders.

— MARKO DROBNJAKOVIC, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
After following orders to walk backward and drop to his knees, he was placed in handcuffs and questioned by officers from Dunwoody and the neighboring community of Doraville.

— Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of orders

Noun

The proclamation reiterates the administration's goals with NASA's Artemis program to return American astronauts to the moon by 2028 and eventually sending astronauts to Mars, but introduces no new funding, programs or policy directives.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026
State agencies like the Florida Highway Patrol have aggressively pursued ICE directives.

— Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of directives

Noun

Subscribers must order at least two meal kits per week from a rotating menu featuring dozens of recipes with pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step directions.

— Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Service on the line is back to normal in both directions, a SEPTA spokesperson said.

— CBS Philadelphia, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of directions

Noun

The state is also seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions and other orders to prevent the landfill operator from violating the waste control laws.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Right-leaning lawmakers have also expressed their wish to curtail individual rulings from Supreme Court justices, who have often suspended laws, issued sweeping injunctions and made high-impact orders without the authorization of the full bench.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of injunctions

Browse Nearby Words

commandment

commandments

commando

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Commandments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandments. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of commandments

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

effrontery

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes