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
Trump has empowered the billionaire to slash and burn the administrative state, turning him into the commander and the enforcer of his administration’s efforts to shake the federal bureaucracy to its core.
—
Jess Bidgood, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2025
These letters contain the final orders on what the submarine commanders should do if the U.K. has been devastated by a nuclear attack and the government is no longer functioning.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images Esper is one of the former officials from President Trump's first administration who has received threats from Iran over the 2020 U.S. killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Quds Force.
—Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2025
The attack took at least 3,000 senior Hezbollah fighters and commanders out of commission.
—Hanin Ghaddar, Foreign Affairs, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for commander 
Jess Bidgood, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2025
These letters contain the final orders on what the submarine commanders should do if the U.K. has been devastated by a nuclear attack and the government is no longer functioning.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images Esper is one of the former officials from President Trump's first administration who has received threats from Iran over the 2020 U.S. killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Quds Force.
—Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2025
The attack took at least 3,000 senior Hezbollah fighters and commanders out of commission.
—Hanin Ghaddar, Foreign Affairs, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
Noun
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Right there, in a building that once served as the SS commandant’s headquarters, is a functioning church, with large crosses in front and atop the building.—
Avi Weiss,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2025
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Eventually, the novel grows to encompass a network of victims and perpetrators: Polish aristocrats, other prisoners in the women’s barracks, the famed writer Tadeusz Borowski, and the camp commandant Rudolf Höss, along with his wife, Hedwig.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Argentine captain played 63 minutes and was replaced by 17-year-old Santi Morales.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
9 Feb. 2025
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Kentridge likens the captain to the ferryman, Charon, in Greek mythology transporting the dead across the river Styx to the underworld.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
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New skipper Will Venable looks to bring stability to the role.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2025
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Heck, even longtime AL skipper Terry Francona came out of retirement to manage the Reds.—
Eno Sarris,
The Athletic,
17 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near commander
Cite this Entry
“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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