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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in directing
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in instructing
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority
the general commanded his troops with Caesar-like imperiousness
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in dominating
to look down on
for centuries an imposing castle has commanded that stretch of the river
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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
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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
Matias Grez, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025
This marks the ninth meeting between these historic programs, with Ohio State holding a commanding lead in the series.
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 20 Jan. 2025
In China’s economy, where, despite economic liberalization, the state still occupies the commanding heights of the economy, China’s National Development and Reform Commission sets prices at artificially low rates.
—Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Post dropped 20 points in a commanding win over the Bulls, outplaying the stretch-five prototype Nikola Vucevic on the other side.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for commanding 
Adjective
Two early breaks of serve in the second helped Sinner cruise to a commanding 2-0 lead.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025
This marks the ninth meeting between these historic programs, with Ohio State holding a commanding lead in the series.
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 20 Jan. 2025
In China’s economy, where, despite economic liberalization, the state still occupies the commanding heights of the economy, China’s National Development and Reform Commission sets prices at artificially low rates.
—Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Post dropped 20 points in a commanding win over the Bulls, outplaying the stretch-five prototype Nikola Vucevic on the other side.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for commanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding
Adjective
-
Biden also commuted the sentences of most of the inmates on federal death row, and pardoned prominent figures including the late civil rights leader Marcus Garvey.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Once in Boston, he is paired with Detective Lena Peters, the eldest daughter of a prominent law enforcement family.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Lamont Westmoreland said the scam appears to work by sending recipients a text message saying the ticket needs to be addressed to avoid a late fee and instructing them to click a link.—
Alison Dirr,
Journal Sentinel,
30 Dec. 2024
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The report includes WhatsApp messages that appear to show Sara Netanyahu instructing a former aide to organize protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in her husband's corruption trial.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
26 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The Allies have won the war, by Eisenhower’s demanding standard of success.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Jodie Turner-Smith is demanding that her estranged husband Joshua Jackson pay her child and spousal support in their ongoing divorce.—
Edward Segarra,
USA TODAY,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The terms governing the use of the character are set out in a 71-page license agreement executive summary which was released in a 2014 hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE).—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
-
The lawsuit alleges that the park’s ownership violated Florida’s laws governing mobile home evictions, including by raising rents within 90 days of issuing the notice to vacate and by not offering the homeowners’ association the first right of refusal to purchase the land.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
And that's the unique aspect of having unified control of the government.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2025
-
Purdy’s story is a reminder that having – or paying – a curious technology person can pay off in a number of ways for your company.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Blending fiddle with a stomp-clap sing-along and a familiar hip-hop melody, the song etched a spot in music history this year by dominating charts and scoring near-countless streams.—
Matthew Leimkuehler,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
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With new brands emerging daily, celebrity endorsements dominating the narrative, and marketing claims becoming increasingly hyperbolic, standing out as a true industry leader requires more than innovative packaging or a catchy tagline.—
Lara Devgan,
Forbes,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Texas gave up a season-high 336 passing yards and three touchdowns in its first-round Playoff win over Clemson, but the Sun Devils are without leading receiver Jordyn Tyson (75 catches, 1,101 yards, 10 TDs) in this game.—
Manny Navarro,
The Athletic,
31 Dec. 2024
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Golden, in a white shirt and orange tie, walked out of a nearly empty stadium after leading the worst loss in Hurricanes history, a 58-0 home humiliation against Clemson.—
Matt Baker,
The Athletic,
31 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The new series of the British crime drama opens with a disturbing mystery, when the death of an elderly woman found in a cave has the team asking what drives a person to murder someone so vulnerable.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Dec. 2024
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But no one seemed all that interested in asking or talking about it Thursday, which makes this as good a time as any to revisit The Athletic’s midseason predictions for the Panthers.—
Joseph Person,
The Athletic,
27 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near commanding
Cite this Entry
“Commanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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