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
Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 6 Apr. 2025
The former captain excels at hunting pucks, which is an important part of goal-line duty.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
They are still captained by 37-year-old Sidney Crosby (23 goals, 49 assists) and have gotten help from Rickard Rakell (30 goals) and Bryan Rust (22) on the offensive side.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captain
Noun
When Canada and the U.S met in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, Gretzky was named our honorary captain and seemed reluctant to do it, without so much as a maple-leaf pin on his jacket lapel.
—Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 6 Apr. 2025
The former captain excels at hunting pucks, which is an important part of goal-line duty.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
Wythenshawe-born, Palmer was at City from age eight, captained the under-18s and made 19 first-team appearances across three years.
—Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
They are still captained by 37-year-old Sidney Crosby (23 goals, 49 assists) and have gotten help from Rickard Rakell (30 goals) and Bryan Rust (22) on the offensive side.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captain
Noun
-
Hamas’ top military commander, Mohammad Deif, was killed during a strike in July 2024.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
North Korean troops are further disadvantaged by the crude tactics of their Russian commanders, who have sent them into assault campaigns without providing rear-fire support, the spy agency told lawmakers in January.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The audit success is also an integral part of the military branch’s readiness to defend, if needed, the USMC commandant noted.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
6 Feb. 2025
-
Trump already had fired the Coast Guard commandant.—
Susan Page,
USA TODAY,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Because in this age of generative AI, leaders are creating versions of themselves that operate without them.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
After a server at a Pilsen restaurant was attacked, a community wants justice The footage of two women brutally attacking a server at Taco Azteca, a longtime Mexican restaurant in Pilsen, last weekend has left a neighborhood reeling, according to residents and local leaders.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Chris Helman tracks energy innovators and oil tycoons from Houston.—
Christopher Helman,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Nick, the son of shipping tycoon Massimo Marone (Joseph Mascolo), often was depicted as an adventurous and ambitious man who worked as a sea captain.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Nutley directed academic services at St. Xavier, and supervised a program aimed at helping teens who were struggling academically, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Shapiro supervises them all, on both scientific and ethical matters.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Then: Banana Clips The banana clip was a hair accessory that ruled the 1980s, similarly to scrunchies and claw clips.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Earlier this month, SCOTUS lifted an injunction that barred deportations under the AEA and ruled that any person the administration sought to deport under the proclamation must be given due process.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Rema commanded a lively crowd at the Moody Theatre headlining the fourth night of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music showcase at SXSW in Austin.—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The camera responded instantly to my Alexa voice commands to stream video to an Amazon Echo Show display.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
While Rice’s ability to punish baseballs landed him a somewhat regular spot in the Yanks’ lineup, his versatility offers a nice bonus to the skipper.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Will Venable appreciated the support following his first win as Sox skipper.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captain. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share