COMMANDS Synonyms: 251 Similar and Opposite Words

commands 1 of 2

noun

plural of command

as in instructions

a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned the captain's commands were followed without question

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Relevance

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as in proficiencies

a highly developed skill in or knowledge of something a command of French that is the result of a year spent in France as an exchange student

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as in headquarters

the place from which a commander runs operations the general set up his command in the old port city

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as in seats

a place from which authority is exercised central command

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as in controls

the right or means to command or control others the army officer in command during the attack

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as in views

all that can be seen from a certain point from his mountain perch, the scout had a command of the entire valley

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commands

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of command

as in orders

to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority the general commanded his troops with Caesar-like imperiousness

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as in requests

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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as in demands

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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as in rules

to exercise authority or power over a cabinet secretary who commands the largest department in the federal government

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as in has

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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as in dominates

to look down on for centuries an imposing castle has commanded that stretch of the river

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as in leads

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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as in asks

to set or receive as a price commands a high fee for his decorating services

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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 commands

Noun

Police say the man also refused to comply with police commands. — Wcco Staff, CBS News, 15 Aug. 2026 Ulrich plays the enigmatic and manipulative cult leader, who pleads insanity and claims to be taking his commands directly from God. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026 Under a communications blackout, a rover team that waits for its commands from Earth has to stop. — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026 The planner can continuously replan based on incoming commands, enabling interactive changes in direction, speed, and movement style without retraining the underlying policy. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026 More law enforcement responded to the scene, and members of the Elko County SWAT team issued verbal commands to Pedersen, who was barricaded in a bedroom, the sheriff's office said. — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 As part of that effort, California has begun licensing voice writers, who repeat every word spoken in court along with a sequence of formatting commands to voice recognition software, alongside traditional stenographers, to take notes in court. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 Still, because Perseverance has not had to spend much time stopped to wait for navigation commands from drivers on Earth, the vehicle has been able to maximize the amount of scientific return. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2026 To avoid losing valuable insights from Voyager 2’s unique position in space, engineers sent commands to the spacecraft to perform a simultaneous swap. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026

Verb

Alonso’s appointment marks the arrival of a coach who commands authority. — George Edwards, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Unlike in the Senate, where Democratic votes can be necessary to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold, Jeffries commands a minority caucus in a chamber where Republicans can pass most legislation with a simple majority. — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026 Adjusted for inflation, each of these men commands vastly greater resources than Rosenwald ever did. — Harold Pollack, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026 Everything about Hathaway’s Rebecca Saint John commands your attention in Eileen. — Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026 Mediators should work with the parties to agree on a process that commands their support. — Matt Waldman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026 An idea that until recently would have been seen as radical—that the public should co-own AI—now commands bipartisan consensus. — Sarah Polcz, Time, 12 Aug. 2026 The watch supports basic Gemini voice commands even when it's not connected to the internet, such as managing timers and alarms or starting a workout. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026 Mark Zuckerberg still commands social media’s largest empire. — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for commands

Noun

Do apply a lawn fungicide shortly after sodding, and repeat about two weeks later following label instructions.

— Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
To prevent this, always use distilled water and keep it clean, following the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.

— Kendall Bettle, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of instructions

Noun

Other governments, including the US, have their own rules and disclosure requirements, but beyond the breadth of the controls in China, the sheer number of people affected is striking – and reaches far beyond civil servants.

— Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Though a slight majority, along with most Democrats and independents, would be okay with government price controls.

— Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of controls

Noun

Located in downtown Las Cruces, this hotel features 203 guest rooms—some offering city or mountain views—adorned in rustic Spanish Colonial decor and local artwork.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2026
North and South America will enjoy the best views, with skywatchers able to follow the entire event from start to finish, weather permitting.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of views

Verb

In the book, Rhaenyra also orders that Nettles be imprisoned, but Daemon, who is suspected of being Nettles’s lover, lets her escape.

— James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Suddenly powering down after an officer orders you to hand over the device could raise questions about your intent.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of orders

Verb

When a client requests new data, Hollow swaps versions in atomically, so reads never wait on writes and performance stays real-time.

— Jon Stojan, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026
If you're emailed anything about your order that requests payments, redelivery payments, account details, or anything similar, don't click any links in the email; go directly to Valve to double-check.

— Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of requests

Verb

Out-innovating China demands the Silicon Valley mindset of constant churn—launches, failures, acquisitions, and redeployment of capital and talent—rather than the traditional contractor reflex of taking their losses to Congress or the press.

— Doug Beck, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Tehran demands that vessels take a northern route through its territorial waters instead.

— Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of demands

Verb

First came an uproar over the Fever potentially skirting WNBA injury report rules as star guard Caitlin Clark worked her way through a back injury early in the season.

— Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Drake Rules Two Album Charts with Iceman Drake rules two album rosters in the United States this week.

— Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of rules

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command posts

commands

commas

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Commands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commands. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of commands

noun

verb

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