1
as in presiding
highest in rank or authority
with the death of the general, he instantly became the commanding officer on the field of battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prominent
likely to attract attention
even in a room filled with world leaders, he was a commanding presence
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in directing
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1
as in instructing
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority
the general commanded his troops with Caesar-like imperiousness
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2
as in ordering
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority
the governor has commanded that all state flags be flown at half-mast
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3
as in demanding
to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority
an act of courage that commands the admiration of all who witnessed it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in governing
to exercise authority or power over
a cabinet secretary who commands the largest department in the federal government
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5
as in having
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
local government does not command the resources that are needed to respond to such a huge disaster
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6
as in dominating
to look down on
for centuries an imposing castle has commanded that stretch of the river
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7
as in leading
to serve as leader of
the head of the agency commands an army of workers trained to respond to the immediate needs of disaster victims
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8
as in asking
to set or receive as a price
commands a high fee for his decorating services
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of commanding
Sam Joseph, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024
Through a less commanding approach and empathy, Mager was able to get Grate to speak openly.
—Natalie Cardenas, ABC News, 22 Nov. 2024
As a result, the Eagles possessed the ball for 12:58 of the 15 minutes in the third to take a commanding lead.
—Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Others won’t want to commit to Microsoft Azure as their cloud platform, despite Microsoft’s commanding lead in generative AI.
—Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for commanding 
Adjective
The dynamic Jeanty has emerged as his main competition and the 20-year-old had a commanding display of his own on Friday.
—Sam Joseph, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024
Through a less commanding approach and empathy, Mager was able to get Grate to speak openly.
—Natalie Cardenas, ABC News, 22 Nov. 2024
As a result, the Eagles possessed the ball for 12:58 of the 15 minutes in the third to take a commanding lead.
—Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Others won’t want to commit to Microsoft Azure as their cloud platform, despite Microsoft’s commanding lead in generative AI.
—Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for commanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding
Adjective
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As a result, several nationally prominent institutions had to impose large-scale budget cuts to stem the red ink.Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
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Penn State, now 34-7 over the past three seasons, has to this point been largely hovering in the background, nationally relevant but not nationally prominent.Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
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He could be seen instructing Diogo Dalot, the player closest to him, movement by movement, pass by pass.Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
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When a younger novice costar struggled with where to look during a close-up, Murphy took the time to teach her about eye lines, instructing her where to look depending on what side of her face the camera was on, O'Grady recalls.Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Allies have won the war, by Eisenhower’s demanding standard of success.Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 24 Dec. 2024
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Jodie Turner-Smith is demanding that her estranged husband Joshua Jackson pay her child and spousal support in their ongoing divorce.Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In 2022, the NCAA updated its policy to align with national sports governing bodies.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
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The league started with 10 teams in 1996, as part of the deal with FIFA, the international governing body of the sport, to bring the World Cup to the United States in 1994.Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Gino also expressed an interest in bringing in a third person to fulfill some of his bedroom fantasies, but Jasmine was more interested in having an open relationship.Abigail Adams, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
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On the dietary front, having plenty of protein may also help lower the risk of fractures and falls, Shapses said.Korin Miller, Health, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Cowan looks to be the go-to player for Canada in this tournament after dominating the OHL over the past 18 months.The Athletic NHL Staff, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
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The companies that master competitive intelligence—the art of knowing what your competitors are doing and doing it better—are the ones that end up dominating their markets.Mohit Prateek, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Caitlin Clark had a year for the ages, becoming the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history before jumping to the WNBA and earning rookie of the year honors—helping the league reach record highs for attendance and viewership along the way.Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
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In fact, diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death and the number one cause of kidney failure, lower leg amputations and adult blindness in America.Omer Awan, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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McAfee joked about that report Monday, asking if Brick would be the one to inform Rodgers of his release.Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 24 Dec. 2024
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Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes, president of the Arizona Sheriff's Association, is asking the state Legislature for $100 million over the next two years so four counties can hire new deputies and act on other plans to prepare for the possibility Proposition 314 could go into effect.Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 24 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near commanding
Cite this Entry
“Commanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.
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