1
as in commander
a person in overall command of a ship
the captain is responsible for everything that happens to his ship in the course of a voyage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in commandant
one in official command especially of a military force or base
the captain of the largest army ever marshaled for battle in this country
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in leader
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do
we only do what the captain tells us to, so it's not our fault when things don't work out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in tycoon
a person of rank, power, or influence in a particular field
a fascinating magazine article profiling the captains of the American auto industry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to supervise
to be in charge of
if you do well on this, you'll be asked to captain the next mission
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to rule
to exercise authority or power over
captained the project for a few days while the boss was out of town
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to command
to serve as leader of
you did a good job of captaining the team
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 captain
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
But the Oilers, led by their superstar captain Connor McDavid and motivated by both revenge and history, will look to cut short a possible Panthers dynasty by reclaiming the Stanley Cup for themselves – and for Canada.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 4 June 2025
David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
After captaining Delhi and Kolkata Knight Riders in two previous finals, the 30-year-old knows all about the big pressures under different franchises.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for captain
Noun
Hudson Williams is playing pro hockey star Shane Hollander of the Montreal Voyageurs and Connor Storrie has the role of Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
But the Oilers, led by their superstar captain Connor McDavid and motivated by both revenge and history, will look to cut short a possible Panthers dynasty by reclaiming the Stanley Cup for themselves – and for Canada.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 4 June 2025
Verb
Yacht owned by biotech millionaire The 2017 Hanse Fjord yacht that Hartley captained is owned by Jonathan Rothberg, a biotech multimillionaire who bought a $23.5-million home on the Venetian Causeway in 2021.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
After captaining Delhi and Kolkata Knight Riders in two previous finals, the 30-year-old knows all about the big pressures under different franchises.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for captain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captain
Noun
-
Mikkelsen will take the role of mission commander and Philips the role of pilot.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 June 2025
-
The homes of the elite commanders and their families are pristine and conservative.—
Whitney Friedlander,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
The photo album belonged to Karl Höcker, a former bank clerk who came to Auschwitz to be commandant Richard Baer’s right-hand man.—
Karen D'Souza,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Soon afterward, some online noted that the band’s X account had been deactivated and assumed — incorrectly — it was tied to Casey’s criticism of President Trump and his co-president, X commandant Elon Musk.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile in every campaign there usually tends to be one character who emerges as the leader of the party.—
James Grebey,
Rolling Stone,
13 June 2025
-
This situation led me to ask a deeper question: How do other women navigating ongoing medical conditions continue to show up consistently and effectively as leaders?—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
With a net worth of $22.7 billion based on a Pop Mart stake, the 38-year-old is the youngest member of the country’s top echelon of tycoons, which includes ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming, Nongfu Spring Chairman Zhong Shanshan and Tencent cofounder Ma Huateng.—
Yue Wang,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
-
The bizarre political bromance between the most powerful man on Earth and the wealthiest tycoon in the world appeared to be over Thursday as President Trump and Elon Musk traded barbs in the wake of the Tesla mogul’s harsh criticism of his signature Big Beautiful Bill.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Kim also supervised test-firings of missiles from the destroyer afterward, and state media said the ship was expected to enter active duty early next year.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 June 2025
-
There would also be logistical questions to address, including who's responsible for supervising students if they are made to leave their classroom during certain lessons and how to select alternative material that is inoffensive to their parents.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
Authorities initially ruled Smith’s death a hit-and-run — before reopening the case in June 2021, following the murders of Maggie and Paul.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
7 June 2025
-
Just this week, the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump can revoke humanitarian parole for over 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.—
Clara-Sophia Daly,
Miami Herald,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
The roughly two-week-long flight will be commanded by record-breaking former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who is now Axiom's director of human spaceflight.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
12 June 2025
-
The top five digital platforms (Google, Meta, ByteDance, Amazon and Alibaba) will command more than half of global ad revenue.—
Gladys Kong,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
With the Yankees facing talented left-hander Garrett Crochet, the skipper figured Saturday made the most sense for a breather.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2025
-
During pregame workouts, Eisenhower spoke with Giants manager Mel Ott and Braves skipper Bob Coleman.—
Bill Swank,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captain. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share