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
After more than two years of political deadlock, the Lebanese Parliament elected the army commander on Thursday with 99 out of 128 votes.
—
Efrat Lachter, Fox News, 10 Jan. 2025
Joseph Aoun is the fifth former army commander to ascend to Lebanon’s presidency, despite the fact that the country’s constitution prohibits high-ranking public servants, including army commanders, from assuming the office during their term or within two years of stepping down.
—Sally Abou Aljoud and Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Joseph Aoun is the fifth former army commander to ascend to Lebanon’s presidency, despite the fact that the country’s constitution prohibits high-ranking public servants, including army commanders, from assuming the presidency during their term or within two years of stepping down.
—Sally Abou Aljoud and Abby Sewell, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Jan. 2025
Lebanon's parliament has elected army commander Joseph Aoun as president, ending a more than two-year vacancy during the country's political and economic crises.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for commander 
Efrat Lachter, Fox News, 10 Jan. 2025
Joseph Aoun is the fifth former army commander to ascend to Lebanon’s presidency, despite the fact that the country’s constitution prohibits high-ranking public servants, including army commanders, from assuming the office during their term or within two years of stepping down.
—Sally Abou Aljoud and Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Joseph Aoun is the fifth former army commander to ascend to Lebanon’s presidency, despite the fact that the country’s constitution prohibits high-ranking public servants, including army commanders, from assuming the presidency during their term or within two years of stepping down.
—Sally Abou Aljoud and Abby Sewell, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Jan. 2025
Lebanon's parliament has elected army commander Joseph Aoun as president, ending a more than two-year vacancy during the country's political and economic crises.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
Noun
-
Fagan did not serve as commandant during that period but has testified about it twice.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
22 Jan. 2025
-
So all of that encouragement hits me differently from the approach of some boot camp commandant.—
Larry Olmsted,
Forbes,
23 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Demaree, who was a captain in the U.S. Army and saw such drudgery firsthand, cofounded Onebrief in 2019, getting some traction after convincing lower-rung officers that his product could automate updates to the vast planning process.—
David Jeans,
Forbes,
28 Jan. 2025
-
As a team captain, Mahomes is a strong pick when choosing a jersey.—
Christopher Murray,
Fox News,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Heck, even longtime AL skipper Terry Francona came out of retirement to manage the Reds.—
Eno Sarris,
The Athletic,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Some of the current’s skipper’s quotes post-Melbourne suggested a man preparing the red-ball carpet entrance for the last time.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near commander
Cite this Entry
“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share