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
This is a call to action for this new cohort of captains to continue the legacy set before them by decades of philanthropists. — Melissa Stevens, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 Leaders of the club tennis team apologized to other team captains and took responsibility for sending the racist graphics, the statement said. — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026 In the hours after the Week 2 loss to Naperville North, Siebert went to the other three captains and organized a players-only meeting for the next day. — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026 Some captains are receiving base salaries as high as $100,000 a month, as well as a $50,000 bonus for each trip, the outlet found. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 There have been a couple of Captain Kirks, but most of the captains aren’t called Kirk. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2026 By comparison, standard monthly salaries average roughly 15,000 dollars for captains and just 1,500 dollars for ordinary crew members. — CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026 Admunsen High School student Alison Segarra and Dundee-Crown High School student Alejandro Gonzalez will serve as the Bears' 2026 Latino Heritage Month Youth Leaders, and will serve as honorary team captains at midfield during the pregame coin toss. — Noel Brennan, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 The club also brought in Cristiana Girelli and Aldana Cometti, captains of Italy and Argentina respectively, at the start of the year, as well as 18-year-old Alex Pfeiffer after two seasons in Kansas City. — Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
Here, the lobster roll is surprisingly personal, with lobster sourced from chef Sewall’s cousin Mark, who captains a boat in York Harbor, Maine. — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captains
Noun
  • The arrests triggered a major counterterrorism investigation into the security breach at the strategic installation, which serves as a central intelligence hub supporting American military commanders across Europe and Africa.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Human commanders are expected to designate authorized targets and establish mission parameters before launch.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The latest friction and finger-pointing between the two leaders is yet another data point in what has been at times a combustible relationship.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The older contingent of media and entertainment leaders have to come to grips with the fact that the world’s population is getting younger.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP The Journal also reported this weekend that Guilfoyle boasted in audio recordings about Greek businessmen who paid for her travel, and reportedly encouraged foreign governments to do business with one of the tycoons.
    — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Lately, though, many mom-and-pop tycoons are turning to different kinds of funding.
    — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Request the treating physician’s name and qualifications, then ask who performs each stage and how the physician supervises the team.
    — Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Frot-Coutaz also supervises Sky Studios Elstree, Sky’s state-of-the-art film and TV studio, plus Sky Studios’ global portfolio of production companies that includes Blast!
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Florida High School Athletic Association rules state that runners who don’t participate in district meets are ineligible for region races.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Rebekka Nygård Bak, an adviser to Greenland’s fisheries ministry, told the outlet that rules requiring bycatch-friendly equipment and better bycatch reporting could also help.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Around 72% of managers plan to boost pay for recruits with relevant AI skills, and 42% say that knowledge commands a greater surcharge than other technical skills.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Lula is renowned as a smart and effective campaigner and still commands a powerful electoral machinery.
    — David Unsworth, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The American League and National League teams will be managed by John Schneider and Dave Roberts, respectively, the skippers of last year’s World Series clubs.
    — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Ludwig says many breakfast skippers end up overeating at night.
    — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • After Hegseth made his announcement, the reactions were mixed, even among his bosses.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
  • That disconnect could prove costly at a moment when employees are looking to their bosses to bring the workforce together.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Captains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captains. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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