1
as in commandants
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 captains
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 commanders
Such an agreement would require battling — and even dismantling — an entrenched and incompetent bureaucracy to speed up economic reforms, and getting rid of old-school historic commanders and everyone else in the government, the Communist Party and the top military echelons standing in the way.
—
Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
The previous round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, in 2023–24, devastated the militia, destroyed much of its missile and drone arsenal, and killed most of its senior battlefield commanders and political leaders.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
The service has also rolled out its Holistic Health and Fitness program, which trains soldiers in units to advise commanders on physical fitness plans tailored to mission needs, ranging from weight training and mobility work to yoga, nutrition guidance and mental health support.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
The lengthening deployments come as Ukrainian commanders in other units have warned of personnel issues, acknowledging that the army will never match the manpower of Russia’s far larger military force.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
But Republicans have made no effort to compel military commanders or members of the president's Cabinet to appear publicly and under oath answer questions from lawmakers.
—Arkansas Online, 15 Apr. 2026
The targets were not rocket launchers or weapons depots, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but the nerve centers of the organization — command rooms, intelligence headquarters and offices where Hezbollah commanders planned the next stage of the fight.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
By contrast, Russian drones have lagged as the Kremlin focuses on mass production of a few models over innovation, while senior military commanders have also been resistant to change, ISW said.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Despite the damage inflicted during the war—including the loss of senior commanders and military infrastructure—the Iranian state remains intact, and so does its core capacity for deterrence.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
The previous round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, in 2023–24, devastated the militia, destroyed much of its missile and drone arsenal, and killed most of its senior battlefield commanders and political leaders.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
The service has also rolled out its Holistic Health and Fitness program, which trains soldiers in units to advise commanders on physical fitness plans tailored to mission needs, ranging from weight training and mobility work to yoga, nutrition guidance and mental health support.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
The lengthening deployments come as Ukrainian commanders in other units have warned of personnel issues, acknowledging that the army will never match the manpower of Russia’s far larger military force.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
But Republicans have made no effort to compel military commanders or members of the president's Cabinet to appear publicly and under oath answer questions from lawmakers.
—Arkansas Online, 15 Apr. 2026
The targets were not rocket launchers or weapons depots, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but the nerve centers of the organization — command rooms, intelligence headquarters and offices where Hezbollah commanders planned the next stage of the fight.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
By contrast, Russian drones have lagged as the Kremlin focuses on mass production of a few models over innovation, while senior military commanders have also been resistant to change, ISW said.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Despite the damage inflicted during the war—including the loss of senior commanders and military infrastructure—the Iranian state remains intact, and so does its core capacity for deterrence.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanders
Noun
-
Just more than two minutes before the first intermission, the physical nature of the series boiled over in a series of scuffles that ended with referee Graham Skilliter meeting with the captains of both teams.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Up next is Tezzus and diamond*, the de facto captains of ØWay, who have taken the modern rapper’s scalpel to his jagged flows in a way that’s beyond straight mimicry.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s also a growing crop of youngish skippers who made the managerial turn quite quickly after their playing days.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
10 Apr. 2026
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Now, skippers compete in races on different classes of ice boats.—
Noel Brennan,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Something awarded only to licensed pilots with a perfect safety record of 50 years, and less than one percent of airline pilots -- only a handful of women -- have received it.—
Rina Nakano,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Given that the cutoff age in America for commercial airline pilots is 65, eyebrows might be raised by making 82-year-old Ben Kingsley the captain on a flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commanders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanders. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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