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 Known for her sharp wit, tactical brilliance, and iconic hairstyles, Leia evolves from royalty to military commander while maintaining her core strength and determination through decades of galactic conflict. Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 19 Mar. 2025 Williams became the station's commander three months into their stay and held the post until earlier this month. arkansasonline.com, 19 Mar. 2025 Crew 10 commander Nick Hague is at top in a black shirt while crewmate Alexander Gorbunov, a Russian cosmonaut, is at bottom in a green shirt. William Harwood, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2025 Haugh is also the commander of the U.S. Cyber Command, which has reportedly faced new eyebrow-raising mandates around its Russian operations. Sam Sabin, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
Noun
  • Trump already had fired the Coast Guard commandant.
    Susan Page, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Within 24 hours of his second inauguration, the president fired Adm. Linda L. Fagan, the first female officer to serve as the commandant of the Coast Guard.
    Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The Mouse House has a new captain steering its ship in Japan.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Bentley, 28, was a four-time captain in his seven seasons with the Patriots.
    Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The France skipper produced an anonymous performance in France’s 3-1 home defeat against Italy and proved similarly ineffective in a substitute appearance against Belgium three days later.
    Tom Williams, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
  • The Angels' 72-year-old skipper has no problem with his players using technology as ubiquitous as a cell phone — just not in the clubhouse.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on commander

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!