as in commander
one in official command especially of a military force or base
reported directly to the fort's commanding officer
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Recent Examples of commanding officer
His previous occupation was recorded as a book binder — though a commanding officer later described him as an actor.
—
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
No commanding officers or the commissioner were ever told about the claim letters, the summary says.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Oakman said that when an officer is arrested, they are required to immediately alert their commanding officer.
—Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
David Skarosi, the Ford’s commanding officer.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding officer
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
No commanding officers or the commissioner were ever told about the claim letters, the summary says.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Oakman said that when an officer is arrested, they are required to immediately alert their commanding officer.
—Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
David Skarosi, the Ford’s commanding officer.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commanding officer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding officer
Noun
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As the attack unfolded on Sunday morning, Ukraine’s commander of the Unmanned System Forces posted a message on his official Telegram account, addressed to the residents of Patriarchy, one of Moscow’s elite residential districts.—
Kosta Gak,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
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Prosecutors allege Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi served as a commander for Kata’ib Hizballah and worked with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Admiral Kevin Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard, said the discovery reconnects the service to a defining moment in its history.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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Previously, warfare was about expensive platforms and precision strikes, driving a downsizing in military forces as countries increasingly relied on cutting-edge technology, said Blythe Crawford, former commandant of the RAF’s Air and Space Warfare Centre.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commanding officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding%20officer. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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