captains 1 of 2

plural of captain
1
as in commanders
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in commandants
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
4

captains

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of captain

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 captains
Noun
The early copy remained tucked away in Britain’s National Archives until a volunteer cataloging records from the American Revolutionary War came across it in May among the papers of Royal Navy captains. Elmira Aliieva, NBC news, 3 July 2026 Previously the top two fan vote-getters would serve as captains and select the squads. Mercury News, 2 July 2026 There may not be quite as many small-time sailors in the harbor this time, owing to the rigidity that has become inevitable since the 9/11 attacks, but plenty of weekend captains will make their way here. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 30 June 2026 In that instance, the first coin toss was neutral — so referee decides which side of the coin means which side of the pitch — while the second coin toss is the one that the captains aim to win to decide who goes first in the shootout. Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 29 June 2026 The free-agent class is topped by centermen like Boone Jenner and Anders Lee, former captains with character but not necessarily top-six output. Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 28 June 2026 Messi currently plays forward and captains both Inter Miami CF (which is co-owned by former English football star David Beckham) and the Argentina national team. Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones were alternate captains at their previous stops, the Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively, with Matthew Tkachuk continuing to hold that title with Florida. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026 In just three months, 1,800 homes have joined the project, which is managed by more than 220 block captains in neighborhoods throughout DC. Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
Verb
Star center back and veteran captain Virgil van Dijk also captains Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the world in England. Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026 Hakimi, who captains Morocco and stars for Paris Saint-Germain, is regarded as one of the best right backs in the world. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 2 June 2026 Camberos, who captains the Mexican side and plays for the national team, played for Angel City and Bay FC in between a first stint with América and her current tenure, while Geyse last played for Gotham. Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 22 May 2026 Rozanov captains the re-named Boston Raiders in the TV adaptation. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 12 May 2026 Rush lost two of his top players to The Bennett School when Reeder and fellow senior Harper Gates, both now captains for the Rebels’ premiere team, decided to pursue the new opportunity. Jon Poorman, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026 Tigertail, 36, who captains airboat tours through the Everglades, is navigating his boat through the only route available given how dry the park has gotten this year. Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026 Outfielder Jung Hoo Lee captains the South Korean team that finished as runner-up to Team Japan in Pool C from Tokyo. Shayna Rubin, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Mar. 2026 As Olivia Walker in the Netflix thriller, the actress captains the White House's Situation Room with the world on the brink of nuclear war. Benjamin Vanhoose, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captains
Noun
  • FireSat will help incident commanders get better information more quickly, and, unlike fire-spotting aircraft, the satellites can linger over a fire for days or weeks and aren’t hampered by high winds or smoke.
    Eric Niiler, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Compatibility with every Chinese carrier The J-15T’s compatibility with every Chinese carrier supports this goal by giving commanders greater flexibility during extended missions.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026
Noun
  • In response to what state leaders describe as threats from the federal government, the Minnesota Department of Human Services began the major task of revalidating 5,472 providers across various service programs deemed at high risk for fraud.
    Conor Wight, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • This disconnect stems from a lack of psychological safety, where leaders fear speaking up or challenging ideas.
    Tracy Lawrence, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • Set in the eponymous Texas metropolis, Dallas followed the Ewings, a powerful family of oil tycoons and ranch owners whose feuds and foibles made for wildly entertaining primetime viewing.
    Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 28 June 2026
  • Three of Paxton’s billionaire backers were Texas-native tycoons with a history of funding right-wing candidates in the state, one of whom died after his donation.
    Andrew Balaban, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • Milshtein previously served as adviser to COGAT, which supervises civilian policy in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
  • As chief of patrol, Hein supervises the most visible aspects of the Police Department that define its image in the minds of most Chicagoans, including emergency response, crisis intervention, traffic control, routine patrol and community policing efforts.
    Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Verb
  • The California Foster Youth Bill of Rights comes into play when deciding what rules the county can place on the youths.
    Theresa Clift July 2, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • The city has also been fighting Miami-Dade County rules around transit stations that allow developers to substantially scale up residential and commercial projects.
    Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 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
  • Meanwhile, Lord Corlys Velaryon and his fleet have the city blockaded, while Team Black commands from Dragonstone and Daemon battles in the Riverlands and Aemond broods on the throne, which he’s taken from his maimed brother.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Noun
  • Ludwig says many breakfast skippers end up overeating at night.
    Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 13 May 2026
  • In terms of skippers, our Frank Selee might rightly be considered more philosopher than a pugilist.
    Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 6 May 2026
Noun
  • His job was to cut and paste responses from scripts his scam bosses generated.
    ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026
  • Some bosses are demanding, disorganized or poor communicators but still want their teams to succeed.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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