commands 1 of 2

noun

plural of command
1
as in instructions
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned the captain's commands were followed without question

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Relevance

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2
as in proficiencies
a highly developed skill in or knowledge of something a command of French that is the result of a year spent in France as an exchange student

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3
as in headquarters
the place from which a commander runs operations the general set up his command in the old port city

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4
as in seats
a place from which authority is exercised central command

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5
as in controls
the right or means to command or control others the army officer in command during the attack

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6
as in views
all that can be seen from a certain point from his mountain perch, the scout had a command of the entire valley

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commands

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of command
1
as in orders
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority the general commanded his troops with Caesar-like imperiousness

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2
as in requests
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority the governor has commanded that all state flags be flown at half-mast

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3
as in demands
to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority an act of courage that commands the admiration of all who witnessed it

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4
as in rules
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 has
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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6
as in dominates
to look down on for centuries an imposing castle has commanded that stretch of the river

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7
as in leads
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

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8
as in asks
to set or receive as a price commands a high fee for his decorating services

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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 commands
Noun
The officers then retreated from the SUV and gave the man commands to exit the vehicle with his hands up. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026 The officer then pulled out his weapon and gave multiple commands for Dougherty to drop his weapon, according to the prosecutor's office. — Ross Dimattei, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026 Now, the focus is on agentic AI and agents that run commands with minimal human direction. — Andrea Scaduto, Forbes.com, 5 Nov. 2026 Launched in 2023, NASA's civilian project Starling demonstrated that a swarm of four small satellites can cooperate and operate autonomously in space on a civilian science mission without relying heavily on real-time commands from ground control. — Mark Piesing, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026 My Alexa voice commands to stream video from the doorbell to an Amazon Echo Show smart display worked perfectly, as did my Alexa routine to have a Tapo L535E light bulb turn red when the doorbell button was pressed. — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2026 Videostrong also had full access to the devices, allowing operators to run terminal commands, capture the screen, and probe other devices on the local network. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 3 Nov. 2026 The Mini 2 is so much faster than the first-gen Mini, playing music in a few seconds and responding to smart home commands just as quickly. — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 1 Nov. 2026 Without a treaty change or a Pentagon-wide policy, commands and contractors retain broad discretion over whether a family can return home to pursue divorce and custody in an American court. — Brianna Keilar, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
Verb
Exodus commands that an altar, a place of sacrifice, be built of uncut stones and never shaped with iron. — Seth Limmer, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026 Fox still commands a huge audience, however, including many voters who identify as independents and liberals. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026 The Federal Arbitration Act commands arbitration awards receive high deference and can only be vacated in limited circumstances, such as when the arbitrator engaged in fraud. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2026 For brand strategists, that points to a bifurcated market where prestige equity still commands a premium but messaging around resourcefulness and value is no longer a down-market cue. — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Its magical forest is filled with talking animals, tree-worshipping mystics, scheming functionaries, and the Dowager Governess (Carey Mulligan), an enchantress who commands an army of uniformed coyotes. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 Satellite connectivity currently commands a premium because of its relatively high cost, limiting its accessibility for some users. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026 Sebastian Roché, a policing specialist at France's National Center for Scientific Research, said their use can depend on the political needs of the government, which commands them. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 Top talent commands top wages which influence your performance, and results don’t precede wages. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commands
  1. instructions
  2. proficiencies
  3. controls
  4. views
  5. orders
  6. requests
  7. demands
  8. rules
Noun
  • But the quality and usefulness of those answers depend greatly on the questions and instructions given.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Similar training, instructions and information can be enough.
    — Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of instructions
Noun
  • This includes warp and weft knitting, dyeing, digital, flat-bed and heat-transfer printing, stentering and finishing proficiencies.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Flown today to familiarize new astronauts with working in a high-stress, dynamic environment and maintain pilots’ flight proficiencies, Johnson Space Center currently has a fleet of 14 active T-38 jets stationed out of nearby Ellington Airport.
    — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of proficiencies
Noun
  • The president previously greenlit the sale of Nvidia chips to Chinese firms despite a bipartisan push for stricter export controls.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 9 Nov. 2026
  • But their preferred answers — price controls, public ownership, more spending and more regulations — would worsen those problems.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of controls
Noun
  • There are 119 rooms and suites, many of which have views down La Rambla towards the Med, all designed in sophisticated neutrals with luxury touches like Diptyque products, a sparkling wine on arrival, and fluffy robes.
    — Jaymi McCann, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Lehane said OpenAI’s views are meant to offer an alternative to extremes around AI.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of views
Verb
  • His devotion ultimately requires him to submit to Rama; this is particularly evident when Rama orders him to abandon Sita.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading … COURT ORDER — Judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in his $10B defamation lawsuit against BBC.
    — , FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of orders
Verb
  • Typically, Charlotte requests these bonds every two years and voters historically approve them.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 Nov. 2026
  • When a user withdraws consent or requests deletion, LG deletes the relevant data in accordance with its data retention and deletion policies.
    — John Higgins, The Verge, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of requests
Verb
  • Mona goes from an invisible nonentity in her own home to someone who demands attention.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 9 Nov. 2026
  • While a typical cloud rack operates at roughly 10 kW, an AI rack demands 150 kW, driving a 10 to 15 times increase in density that requires an entirely new approach to power distribution.
    — Steve Altizer, Forbes.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of demands
Verb
  • Florida High School Athletic Association rules state that runners who don’t participate in district meets are ineligible for region and state races.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026
  • That adviser suggested the president and Democrats could also work together on AI — particularly rules around data centers — and other cost-of-living issues.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of rules

Browse Nearby Words

command posts
commands
commas
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Cite this Entry

“Commands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commands. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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