annexed; annexing; annexes
1
: to incorporate (an additional geographic area) within the domain of a country, state, etc.
The U.S. annexed Texas in 1845.
… the Dutch colony was annexed by Indonesia.—
Julian Evans
Julian EvansDanville [Illinois] has continued to expand its geographic footprint despite population decline by annexing adjacent communities.—Sara S. Metcalf
Sara S. Metcalf2
: to add (something) to something earlier, larger, or more important
—often used with to
They annexed a copy of the letter to the affidavit.
… a … bathroom annexed to a wide variety of household spaces.—Duo Dickinson
Duo Dickinson3
: to obtain or take (something) for oneself
After a time Heyst perceived that Wang had annexed all the keys. Any keys left lying about vanished after Wang had passed that way.—Joseph Conrad
Joseph ConradWinning a blue at every show this season, DEAL ME ACES has annexed an enviable eight blues … out of ten performances.—advertisement in Saddle Horse Report
advertisement in Saddle Horse Report4
: to attach (something) as a quality, consequence, or condition
—often used with to
Many privileges were annexed exclusively to royalty.
5
archaic
: to join (things or people) together : unite
… the deponent … asked Mrs. Tuck for the testator's will and codicil; and he annexed them together and sealed them up …—The Revised Reports: Being a Republication of Such Cases in the English Courts of Common Law and Equity, from the Year 1785 …
The Revised Reports: Being a Republication of Such Cases in the English Courts of Common Law and Equity, from the Year 1785 …Examples of annex in a Sentence
The United States annexed Texas in 1845.
The government planned to annex the islands.
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2014, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, a peninsula in southern Ukraine.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Canadians aren’t alone in these feelings; other would-be foreign visitors have balked at the talk over the US annexing Greenland, questioning the NATO alliance, and the handling of tariffs or wars.
—Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 25 May 2026
Al-Otaiba also correctly noted that the crisis was the worst the Gulf has seen since August 1990, when Saddam Hussein’s Iraq infamously invaded and annexed the GCC member state of Kuwait.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Weatherford said no — for now In early 2025, Weatherford officials met with Black Mountain about annexing the land.
—Emily Holshouser. Produced With Ai Assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for annex
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Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Canadians aren’t alone in these feelings; other would-be foreign visitors have balked at the talk over the US annexing Greenland, questioning the NATO alliance, and the handling of tariffs or wars.
—Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 25 May 2026
Al-Otaiba also correctly noted that the crisis was the worst the Gulf has seen since August 1990, when Saddam Hussein’s Iraq infamously invaded and annexed the GCC member state of Kuwait.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Weatherford said no — for now In early 2025, Weatherford officials met with Black Mountain about annexing the land.
—Emily Holshouser. Produced With Ai Assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for annex
Cite this Entry
“Annex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annex. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
annex
transitive verb
an·nex
ə-ˈneks, ˈa-ˌneks 
1
: attach sense 2
correspondence annexed to the petition
a greenhouse annexed to the building
2
: to incorporate (as a territory) within a political domain
the district annexes only shards of 24 additional parishes—Hays v. Louisiana, 839 F. Supp. 1188 (1993)
Hays v. Louisiana, 839 F. Supp. 1188 (1993)Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
