How to Use lieutenant in a Sentence

lieutenant

noun
  • He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
  • She has her best lieutenants working on a proposal.
  • Maduro’s lieutenants would not be left in place to strike deals.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
  • As the lieutenant falls to the ground dead, blood spurts from his head.
    — Time, 20 Sep. 2025
  • But for now, Maduro’s top lieutenants are still in charge.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
  • The lieutenant strode over and punched the man, still seated, in the face.
    — Ovetta Wiggins, Washington Post, 28 May 2022
  • The fire chief said that the lieutenant had never gotten off the fire truck.
    — Jessica Jaglois, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Feb. 2023
  • Trump and his top lieutenants addressed the crowd by video and in person.
    — Susan Page, USA Today, 20 May 2026
  • Morris was assigned the probe, and at times his lieutenants helped.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
  • The men took off with the items in a red Nissan sedan, the lieutenant said.
    — David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2023
  • Charlie Kirk was his chief lieutenant.
    — NBC news, 14 Sep. 2025
  • At last the lieutenant relented—sort of.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
  • But by the time he and two of his lieutenants were extradited, the case was over.
    — Tim Golden, ProPublica, 19 July 2024
  • The lieutenant, who was off duty, was not wearing a body camera at the time.
    — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2025
  • Steven Feldman, as well as a captain, a lieutenant and a sergeant.
    — Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Five of the past 10 lieutenant governors rose to the top job.
    — Fortune, 3 Nov. 2021
  • The lieutenant did not say what may have preceded the shooting.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2022
  • The lieutenant said deputies found clothing in a suitcase inside the car.
    — David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2023
  • After someone stabbed the man, the people in the group took off, the lieutenant said.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023
  • The lieutenant then arrives to take the priest into custody.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Four other children, all in their early to mid-teens, live at the home, the lieutenant said.
    — City News Service, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Working homicide for five years — one as a sergeant and four as a lieutenant — has been his favorite so far.
    — Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The sergeant who wrote him the warning for killing a guy was just as quickly promoted to lieutenant.
    — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The girl ran to the bus stop while the man got back in the van and the driver took off, according to the lieutenant.
    — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Dec. 2021
  • At least one officer broke windows as the lieutenant tried to coax the man out of the back of the hatchback.
    — Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2021
  • The lieutenant said the Russians appeared to have learned from past mistakes.
    — Nabih Bulosstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2022
  • Ivan Kononov, a senior lieutenant in the Russian marines, loved to cook.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 7 Apr. 2022
  • General Thomas, now 62, was then a lieutenant who went in with the first wave.
    — Mark Bowden, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2021
  • In order to reach him, messages had to be relayed by his lieutenants, who went on twice-weekly walks with him.
    — Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Then the lieutenant ordered everyone in the car to put the safety of their rifles on.
    — Ian Lovett, WSJ, 22 May 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lieutenant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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