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

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2
as in captain
a person in overall command of a ship the intrepid commander of the HMS Surprise

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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 There are commanders for air and naval units, too. Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025 Air Force officials said the smaller version would allow fighter jets such as the F-35 to carry multiple Quicksink rounds, expanding options for commanders to disrupt enemy fleets or logistics vessels from multiple platforms. Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025 That move alarmed Israeli officials who question the motives of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander. Gram Slattery, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025 Driscoll, a former commander of the FBI's hostage rescue team, briefly served as acting director between the resignation of Christopher Wray in January and Patel's confirmation in February. Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
Noun
  • The Washington Post first reported Noem was staying in the commandant’s residence rent-free, while the Daily Mail first reported the secretary moved there in July.
    Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 15 Aug. 2025
  • The commandant had also stayed behind, in his office.
    Charles Pellegrino, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Under captain Eric Brown, the GB&I team was even instructed not to help opponents search for lost balls.
    Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • His father landed on the beaches of Normandy during the allied invasion in World War II, while his sister was a captain in the Navy.
    Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Boone finally got the Yankees to their first World Series since 2009 last year, but a season of ups and downs in the Bronx has created enough discontent among fans for questions about the skipper's job security to be at least somewhat reasonable.
    Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
  • But the skipper sounded like the wait was worth it.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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