1
as in commanders
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 commandants
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 leaders
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 tycoons
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 supervises
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 rules
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 commands
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 captains
Elmira Aliieva,
NBC news,
3 July 2026
Previously the top two fan vote-getters would serve as captains and select the squads.
—
Mercury News,
2 July 2026
There may not be quite as many small-time sailors in the harbor this time, owing to the rigidity that has become inevitable since the 9/11 attacks, but plenty of weekend captains will make their way here.
—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
30 June 2026
In that instance, the first coin toss was neutral — so referee decides which side of the coin means which side of the pitch — while the second coin toss is the one that the captains aim to win to decide who goes first in the shootout.
—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
29 June 2026
The free-agent class is topped by centermen like Boone Jenner and Anders Lee, former captains with character but not necessarily top-six output.
—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
28 June 2026
Messi currently plays forward and captains both Inter Miami CF (which is co-owned by former English football star David Beckham) and the Argentina national team.
—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones were alternate captains at their previous stops, the Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively, with Matthew Tkachuk continuing to hold that title with Florida.
—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2026
In just three months, 1,800 homes have joined the project, which is managed by more than 220 block captains in neighborhoods throughout DC.
—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Pj Green,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Hakimi, who captains Morocco and stars for Paris Saint-Germain, is regarded as one of the best right backs in the world.
—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
2 June 2026
Camberos, who captains the Mexican side and plays for the national team, played for Angel City and Bay FC in between a first stint with América and her current tenure, while Geyse last played for Gotham.
—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Rozanov captains the re-named Boston Raiders in the TV adaptation.
—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
12 May 2026
Rush lost two of his top players to The Bennett School when Reeder and fellow senior Harper Gates, both now captains for the Rebels’ premiere team, decided to pursue the new opportunity.
—
Jon Poorman,
Houston Chronicle,
4 Apr. 2026
Tigertail, 36, who captains airboat tours through the Everglades, is navigating his boat through the only route available given how dry the park has gotten this year.
—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Outfielder Jung Hoo Lee captains the South Korean team that finished as runner-up to Team Japan in Pool C from Tokyo.
—
Shayna Rubin,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Mar. 2026
As Olivia Walker in the Netflix thriller, the actress captains the White House's Situation Room with the world on the brink of nuclear war.
—
Benjamin Vanhoose,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
The early copy remained tucked away in Britain’s National Archives until a volunteer cataloging records from the American Revolutionary War came across it in May among the papers of Royal Navy captains.
—
Elmira Aliieva,
NBC news,
3 July 2026
Previously the top two fan vote-getters would serve as captains and select the squads.
—
Mercury News,
2 July 2026
There may not be quite as many small-time sailors in the harbor this time, owing to the rigidity that has become inevitable since the 9/11 attacks, but plenty of weekend captains will make their way here.
—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
30 June 2026
In that instance, the first coin toss was neutral — so referee decides which side of the coin means which side of the pitch — while the second coin toss is the one that the captains aim to win to decide who goes first in the shootout.
—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
29 June 2026
The free-agent class is topped by centermen like Boone Jenner and Anders Lee, former captains with character but not necessarily top-six output.
—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
28 June 2026
Messi currently plays forward and captains both Inter Miami CF (which is co-owned by former English football star David Beckham) and the Argentina national team.
—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones were alternate captains at their previous stops, the Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively, with Matthew Tkachuk continuing to hold that title with Florida.
—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2026
In just three months, 1,800 homes have joined the project, which is managed by more than 220 block captains in neighborhoods throughout DC.
—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Verb
Star center back and veteran captain Virgil van Dijk also captains Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the world in England.
—
Pj Green,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Hakimi, who captains Morocco and stars for Paris Saint-Germain, is regarded as one of the best right backs in the world.
—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
2 June 2026
Camberos, who captains the Mexican side and plays for the national team, played for Angel City and Bay FC in between a first stint with América and her current tenure, while Geyse last played for Gotham.
—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Rozanov captains the re-named Boston Raiders in the TV adaptation.
—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
12 May 2026
Rush lost two of his top players to The Bennett School when Reeder and fellow senior Harper Gates, both now captains for the Rebels’ premiere team, decided to pursue the new opportunity.
—
Jon Poorman,
Houston Chronicle,
4 Apr. 2026
Tigertail, 36, who captains airboat tours through the Everglades, is navigating his boat through the only route available given how dry the park has gotten this year.
—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Outfielder Jung Hoo Lee captains the South Korean team that finished as runner-up to Team Japan in Pool C from Tokyo.
—
Shayna Rubin,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Mar. 2026
As Olivia Walker in the Netflix thriller, the actress captains the White House's Situation Room with the world on the brink of nuclear war.
—
Benjamin Vanhoose,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captains
Noun
-
Military lawyers confirm contracts offer limited protection, as commanders prioritize operational effectiveness and battlefield proximity, reflecting Russia's ruthless model of warfare that trades personnel safety for tactical gains.
-
Ukrainian commanders said last week that Russian soldiers are attempting to infiltrate the outskirts of Kostyantynivka, an industrial city in Donetsk.
Noun
-
In response to what state leaders describe as threats from the federal government, the Minnesota Department of Human Services began the major task of revalidating 5,472 providers across various service programs deemed at high risk for fraud.
-
This disconnect stems from a lack of psychological safety, where leaders fear speaking up or challenging ideas.
Noun
-
Set in the eponymous Texas metropolis, Dallas followed the Ewings, a powerful family of oil tycoons and ranch owners whose feuds and foibles made for wildly entertaining primetime viewing.
-
Three of Paxton’s billionaire backers were Texas-native tycoons with a history of funding right-wing candidates in the state, one of whom died after his donation.
Verb
-
Milshtein previously served as adviser to COGAT, which supervises civilian policy in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
-
As chief of patrol, Hein supervises the most visible aspects of the Police Department that define its image in the minds of most Chicagoans, including emergency response, crisis intervention, traffic control, routine patrol and community policing efforts.
Verb
-
The California Foster Youth Bill of Rights comes into play when deciding what rules the county can place on the youths.
-
The city has also been fighting Miami-Dade County rules around transit stations that allow developers to substantially scale up residential and commercial projects.
Verb
-
Kelly Mason commands Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with a deft hand, both at her namesake Mason Vineyards and Domaine Queylus.
-
Known to get into the minutiae of coding himself, Andreou actively participates in building tools, with a vibrant personality that commands the room.
Noun
-
Ludwig says many breakfast skippers end up overeating at night.
-
In terms of skippers, our Frank Selee might rightly be considered more philosopher than a pugilist.
Noun
-
His job was to cut and paste responses from scripts his scam bosses generated.
-
Some bosses are demanding, disorganized or poor communicators but still want their teams to succeed.
Cite this Entry
“Captains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captains. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
