captain 1 of 2

Definition of captainnext
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

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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

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3
4

captain

2 of 2

verb

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
Noun
The 27-year-old French captain scored the only goal of Saturday’s round of 16 game on a penalty kick in the 70th minute. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 England captain Harry Kane scored six goals so far this World Cup, including the game-winning penalty kick against Mexico on Sunday. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
Verb
In May, Celebrini captained Canada, a veteran team that included Sidney Crosby, at the World Championship in Switzerland. Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 27 June 2026 The Endeavour orbiter, named after a ship captained by James Cook in 1768, was largely built by Rockwell in Palmdale, with parts provided from many places. Marla Jo Fisher, Daily News, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for captain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captain
Noun
  • On Thursday, photos released by state broadcaster IRIB showed the commander sitting next to Khamenei’s casket during a farewell ceremony in Tehran.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Xi, who is also head of the military, presented orders promoting Zhang Shuguang and air force commander Wang Gang to generals at a ceremony Friday.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
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
  • In the weeks since Fable 5 and Mythos 5 were forced out of commission, industry leaders and experts became increasingly worried that the ad-hoc ban would threaten America’s AI lead against China.
    Jared Perlo, NBC news, 1 July 2026
  • According to Smith, citizens of East Florida even burned the leaders behind the Declaration of Independence in effigy.
    Hank Tester, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Noun
  • The intensely private Korean shipping tycoon rocked the tanker industry early this year as his Sinokor Group embarked on an unprecedented buying spree.
    Weilun Soon, Fortune, 5 July 2026
  • The 58-year-old construction tycoon renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2017, Ukrainian media reported, and has been a citizen of Cyprus since 2019.
    Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • While older children can use sparklers, they should be supervised, Heckman said.
    Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • Between there, and running upstairs to supervise fittings of his monumentally sculptural work with his stylist Tallulah Harlech, the designer caught a rare moment to sit and talk.
    Sarah Mower, Vogue, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • The California Supreme Court is poised to rule in a lawsuit that has pitted the state’s court reporters — the workers who create transcripts of court proceedings — against victims of domestic violence and other vulnerable litigants.
    Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • News cameras will be allowed to record and broadcast much of the hearing, the judge ruled last week over the objections of Robinson’s attorneys.
    Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Verb
  • The complaint also accuses G-MAC of violating Title IX, a federal law that commands gender equity in college sports.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 July 2026
  • Combined with Sky, the business would command about 20% of in-home viewing in Britain, second to the BBC and ahead of YouTube.
    Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 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

“Captain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captain. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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