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

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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 usurp The 6-foot-6, 308-pounder was at Wisconsin from 2020-24 before finishing at Illinois last season and entering the 49ers’ defensive-line rotation this season, perhaps even usurping Alfred Collins in the starting lineup next to Osa Odighizuwa. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2026 After Davis’ single appearance, Anne Baxter would step in as the matriarch of the series (as a new character), an ironic echo of Baxter’s Eve ambitiously attempting to usurp Davis’ Margo in the classic All About Eve. — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Aug. 2026 Last year, netizens coined a new term to reflect our growing disdain for AI bots slowly usurping our human agency. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 26 Aug. 2026 In this way, the tech is being used to elevate human intelligence, rather than usurping it. — William Jones, USA Today, 19 Aug. 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
  • Oviedo also alleged that bundles of cash seized from an ambulance leaving Mariaca’s home in the city of Santa Cruz early Thursday were proceeds of extortion targeting people who sought help from prosecutors.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Azerbaijan has denied these allegations, but the country is a major oil supplier to Israel, which might be enough to push Tehran to try to seize Nakhichevan, an Azerbaijani exclave on the Iranian border.
    — Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • York had a cellphone returned to him, but the $160 that police confiscated from him was given to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force as part of the plea agreement.
    — Erick Mendoza, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
  • York was arrested after responding to an online prostitution by the Miami Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, which confiscated his cellphone and $160 in cash.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of confiscate
Verb
  • That includes organizing plots to set fire to warehouses, launching drones and trying to kill enemies abroad as well as stealing defense technology and carrying out cyberattacks on critical European infrastructure.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Weld County Sheriff's Office says a woman broke into a business in the 800 block of 25th Avenue on Friday and stole about $4,000 worth of copper wire.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of steal
Verb
  • Over the course of Next Gen NYC’s season, which ended this past week, the model Ava Dash grabs a slice of pizza on Fulton Street; strolls through the Seaport; and calls her father, the hip-hop mogul Damon Dash, from a bench at Pier 17.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Stop in today to bid farewell and grab one last fresh burger, hand cut fries and premium ice cream sundae.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • Expanding the Navy’s missile stockpile SM-6 occupies a key role in the Navy’s layered approach to air and missile defense.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The merchandising was reconsidered as well, with more open space, redesigned display cases and seating replacing cases that previously occupied the front windows.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of occupy
Verb
  • The system generates electrical power and converts it into a highly concentrated beam.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The proposition is to connect China’s factories with its creator economy; Black Lake’s agents bridge the gap by converting ideas into designs, a 3D simulation, and industrial data sent to a factory.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of convert

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usuals
usurp
usurpation
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Cite this Entry

“Usurp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/usurp. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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