as in seized
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
the mayor usurped the school board's authority when he fired the principal
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurped
Verb
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Before Hamas seized full control of Gaza in 2007, Christians would often place a large Christmas tree near a major square in Gaza City.—
Aaron Boxerman,
New York Times,
24 Dec. 2024 -
Adebayo did not force his offense, in a game where there was little for the Heat to have to counter in the middle, but then seized control with his scoring late.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The airport bomb squad also responded and confiscated the fireworks.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
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Socks, however, are very scanner-friendly and are never confiscated.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The victim told cops the suspect grabbed her from behind, put her in a bear hug, and grinded against her before escaping down the street.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2025
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The attacker then grabbed around $10 out of the victim’s pockets before fleeing on foot.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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No filmmaker was better-equipped to capture the institutional failures of our economic collapse in 2007-08, as Soderbergh has always been pre-occupied by the alienating relationship between our economic systems and his characters.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 2025
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The remainder of the hearing was occupied with timetables for jury selection, motions and disclosure of evidence.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In 1852, Congress appropriated $15,000 for Waukegan Harbor improvements that included a breakwater with an elevated catwalk parallel to the shore to protect the harbor, in addition to navigation aids.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2025
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The nonprofit Climate United sued the administration this weekend to unfreeze a $7 billion federal grant awarded by the Biden administration, using money Congress appropriated, that will fund clean energy and solar projects around the nation.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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As their escape car was almost out of gas and one of the tires had been shot out, the robbers commandeered another car, but the driver took the keys with him.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American-Statesman,
24 Dec. 2024
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The wily Canuck was practically invisible for the first three weeks of the season, a victim of far flashier payers (cough, Rome, cough) that commandeered all the camera time.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
12 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Usurped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurped. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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