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
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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
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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
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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
-
There were fore and aft decks, a couple of bedrooms, a bathroom, a galley kitchen, and the heady promise of being captain of my own boat.—
Stanley Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Mar. 2025
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Willie linked arms with his fellow-players and faced down the opposing captain, glowering at the antipodeans in headbands and teeny-tiny shorts.—
Rebecca Mead,
The New Yorker,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In Season 1, under skipper Rome Kirby, the US came last in the fledgling six-fleet championship.—
Andrew Rice,
The Athletic,
13 Mar. 2025
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There is also an unknown over the futures of skipper Rohit Sharma and talisman Virat Kohli in this format.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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