1
as in supervising
to be in charge of
if you do well on this, you'll be asked to captain the next mission
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in governing
to exercise authority or power over
captained the project for a few days while the boss was out of town
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in leading
to serve as leader of
you did a good job of captaining the team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of captaining
That changed this year, though, as Ledbetter is captaining a four-member charity team, the institute’s first ever crew of marathon runners.
—
Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, the man captaining the boat that gets her into the Amazon is possessed by thoughts of a lost love, a story even a head-in-her-hands Tereza is exhausted by.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
However, Brady, alongside Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts, is captaining one of the teams.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Bryk was introduced in Season 1 as Ebon, a rough-around-the-edges Boston guy who spends his summers among the blue-blooded elite, captaining a charter boat for senators and celebrities.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
Mikael Granlund didn’t play for the Ducks after captaining Finland to bronze in Milan.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Mikael Granlund didn't play for Anaheim after captaining Finland to bronze in Milan.
—CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Aaron Benjamin, 30, drowned on February 19 while solo-captaining a raft in Hance Rapid, a formidable section of the Colorado River.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 23 Feb. 2026
And so perhaps captaining a team to an Olympic gold medal will change the way Matthews is seen in the hockey world.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, the man captaining the boat that gets her into the Amazon is possessed by thoughts of a lost love, a story even a head-in-her-hands Tereza is exhausted by.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
However, Brady, alongside Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts, is captaining one of the teams.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Bryk was introduced in Season 1 as Ebon, a rough-around-the-edges Boston guy who spends his summers among the blue-blooded elite, captaining a charter boat for senators and celebrities.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
Mikael Granlund didn’t play for the Ducks after captaining Finland to bronze in Milan.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Mikael Granlund didn't play for Anaheim after captaining Finland to bronze in Milan.
—CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Aaron Benjamin, 30, drowned on February 19 while solo-captaining a raft in Hance Rapid, a formidable section of the Colorado River.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 23 Feb. 2026
And so perhaps captaining a team to an Olympic gold medal will change the way Matthews is seen in the hockey world.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captaining
Verb
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Chavez, a 78-year-old retiree who worked as a foreman supervising construction at the site, also disappeared in May 2025, according to Los Alamos police.—
Natasha Chen,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
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Goldwyn served as writer and supervising producer on Emily in Paris, and writer on SMILF and Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, among others.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Commission is comprised of 13 commissioners who are appointed for terms of up to 5 years by the governor general on the advice of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, whose authority is exercised by the federal Cabinet of the governing party in the Canadian Parliament.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
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Adams, who finished fourth in the crowded Democratic primary for mayor in 2025, added that women, in her experience, take a noticeably different approach to governing than men.—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Federal authorities leading investigation The FBI is leading the criminal probe while the Secret Service is focusing on the suspect's behavioral profile, a senior law enforcement official briefed on the bicoastal investigation told USA TODAY.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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The Canadiens were leading 2-0 late in the second period when Lightning defenceman Max Crozier leveled Juraj Slafkovský with a massive open-ice hit that felt eerily similar to Wilson’s.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The county is overseeing design and construction for the cabins project, which is expected to be completed by the summer of 2027.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
There and throughout the West Bank, voting determines the makeup of local councils tasked with overseeing water, roads and electricity.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Among those still at large is the group leader Milan Radoicic, a politician and wealthy businessman with ties to Serbia’s ruling populist party and President Aleksandar Vucic.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
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In March, a federal judge issued an order temporarily blocking every major vaccine policy change made in the last year, ruling that Kennedy and the ACIP committee had ignored the traditional scientific process for establishing recommendations.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The win gives the Lakers a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series with a chance to close it out in Game 4 on Sunday night.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Rice commanding such a fee was down to Moyes unlocking his full potential.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rai Cinema International Distribution, which is handling world sales, will unveil first footage in Cannes, with the production slated for completion in the fourth quarter of the year.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Endorphins and serotonin spike, and over time the brain gets better at handling stressful conditions.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Stafford is 38 and managing degenerative back issues.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Micky Arison is listed as managing general partner.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Captaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captaining. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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