Definition of commandernext
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 Families of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and senior commander Imad Mughniyeh, close Lebanese allies of Iran killed in Israeli strikes, attended the ceremony. Parisa Hafezi, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Indeed, the mission’s commander, Colonel Jonathan Netanyahu, was killed by a shot from a Ugandan guard in the airport’s control tower. Anne Neuberger, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 The Kremlin said Russian military commanders briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin on the attacks and said Moscow would continue increasing pressure on Ukraine to achieve its war aims. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 Agamemnon is the commander of the Greek army that fights the Trojan War for the recovery of Menelaus’s wife, Helen. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
Noun
  • Trump fired the woman commandant of the Coast Guard, the Black combat-veteran Air Force general who was the chair of the Joint Chiefs, and the first woman to be the chief of naval operations.
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 17 June 2026
  • The State Police will also hire a civilian director to work alongside the academy’s commandant, and institute baseline physical and psychological screenings for recruits before the academy begins.
    Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026
Noun
  • Jean Potvin spent his last two seasons as an Islanders spare part while his brother and captain accepted the Stanley Cup the first two of four consecutive times.
    David J. Neal, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2026
  • Her father Dudley Dunn -- a veteran of World War I and the son of Gray Dunn, a famed Mississippi River boat captain -- died in 1934, according to Sesser.
    Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly then challenged the call at the plate, but that call stood after another wait of 1 minute, 34 seconds.
    Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • The Mets dismissed manager Buck Showalter with one year left on his contract to accommodate Stearns, allowing the executive to select his own skipper.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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