1
as in commandant
one in official command especially of a military force or base
a surrender of the fort by the commander without a single shot having been fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in captain
a person in overall command of a ship
the intrepid commander of the HMS Surprise
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 commander
Junior and mid-level Russian commanders were apparently under constant pressure from their superiors to produce results and had stopped listening to their own troops' complaints.
—
Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
And in theory, the Russian commander launched his attack at the right time—under the cover of the early morning darkness.
—David Axe, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Smith said he was made aware of the plan during a meeting with the commander of U.S. Northern Command, Gen. Gregory M. Guillot.
—David Catanese, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
Special ops commanders say America is struggling to keep up with adversaries in the technological field
Rear Adm. Milton Sands III, Maj. Gen. Peter Huntley, Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga and Lt. Gen. Michael Conley urged Congress to take action to help U.S. troops advance.
—Rachel Wolf, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commander
Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
And in theory, the Russian commander launched his attack at the right time—under the cover of the early morning darkness.
—David Axe, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Smith said he was made aware of the plan during a meeting with the commander of U.S. Northern Command, Gen. Gregory M. Guillot.
—David Catanese, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
Special ops commanders say America is struggling to keep up with adversaries in the technological field
Rear Adm. Milton Sands III, Maj. Gen. Peter Huntley, Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga and Lt. Gen. Michael Conley urged Congress to take action to help U.S. troops advance.
—Rachel Wolf, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
Noun
-
The shakeup comes in the wake of the abrupt firing of Admiral Linda Fagan, who served as the first female commandant.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
1 Feb. 2025
-
Years later, General Michael Hagee, who was the commandant of the Marine Corps at the time of the shootings, bragged to an oral historian that the press still hadn’t got hold of graphic photos of the killings’ aftermath.—
Parker Yesko,
The New Yorker,
18 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Mary, too, served in the Army from 2016 to 2020, also leaving as a captain.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2025
-
There have been rumblings this offseason, from January through the NFL Combine, that some members of the Giants’ brass do not have a high opinion of linebacker and captain Bobby Okereke’s value to the roster entering the 2025 NFL season.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The Indian skipper eventually succumbed to Connolly who showed great character after his difficult batting effort.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
-
The skipper isn’t necessarily planning to flip-flop the two outfielders’ positions during games this spring.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
23 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share