usurp

verb

yu̇-ˈsərp How to pronounce usurp (audio)
Definition of usurpnext
as in to seize
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

Relevance

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 usurp The wedding broke the record for the largest single-location mass wedding at the time, until it was usurped in 2023, per Guinness World Records. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 Don’t name somebody directly because that usurps their free will. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026 The ‌Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in March upheld a complaint by Ukraine that Russia’s chess federation had usurped control of the game in areas of Ukraine captured by the Russian military. — CNN Money, 12 June 2026 Many in the scientific research community disagree, characterizing the changes as the White House attempting to usurp autonomy from scientists and career civil servants. — Allison Deangelis, STAT, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for usurp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for usurp
  1. seize
  2. confiscate
  3. steal
  4. grab
  5. occupy
  6. convert
Verb
  • The pivotal moment occurred when Randy Orton made a shocking return, delivering an RKO to Cody Rhodes, which allowed Punk to seize the opportunity and secure the pinfall.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The 12th-century castle, also known as Al-Shaqif, was seized by Israeli forces in May.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • Tucked inside a green oasis in the middle of the capital, Santo Domingo, are crocodiles, flamingos, and even tigers that officials have confiscated from people accused of illegally keeping them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • After helping rescue a small group of ploughshares confiscated from smugglers, Goode and the Turtle Conservancy became the first to successfully breed the species outside of Madagascar.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
Definition of confiscate
Verb
  • De La Cruz hit three doubles, stole two bases and had an RBI.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Russia would be interested in stealing political secrets, such as Japan’s future policy on Ukraine.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Definition of steal
Verb
  • Photos appear to show one such altercation, with a fan attempting to grab Preston from the sideline.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
  • And once the stars are out, the fire pits come to life, where kids of all ages can enjoy s’mores by grabbing a kit from the front desk.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • In total, Chinese companies occupy six of the 10 spots for the most innovative humanoid robotics startups in the world, according to the report.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
  • While both candidates occupy the left side of the national political spectrum, their records illustrate two distinct governing philosophies that have frequently clashed in San Francisco Democratic politics.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of occupy
Verb
  • The current middle and high schools are currently located a few blocks north off Armour Boulevard in an old office building that was converted.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • When a processor requests data, the chip instantly converts CXL memory requests into DDR5 commands, retrieves the required information, and sends it back in real time.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of convert

Browse Nearby Words

usuals
usurp
usurpation
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Usurp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurp. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on usurp

Nglish: Translation of usurp for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of mitigate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All