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
Verb
The United States annexed Texas in 1845.
The government planned to annex the islands.
Noun
The addition will be used as an annex to the library.
We store our old files in the annex.
an annex to the document
Recent Examples on the Web
Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez, while speaking to reporters on Monday in the Netherlands, said her country had no plans of being annexed by the United States, according to the Associated Press.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 11 May 2026
Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Among other things, the Pentagon announced that the Correspondents’ Corridor, the journalist workspaces, would be closed, with plans to move reporters to an annex outside the building.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for annex
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Verb
Tensions between the countries further flared in 2023, when Rodríguez’s predecessor, Maduro, threatened to annex the region by force after holding a referendum asking voters if Essequibo should be turned into a Venezuelan state.
—Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez, while speaking to reporters on Monday in the Netherlands, said her country had no plans of being annexed by the United States, according to the Associated Press.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 11 May 2026
Noun
The Manhattan apartment of CBS News special correspondent Anthony Mason could serve as an annex to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Among other things, the Pentagon announced that the Correspondents’ Corridor, the journalist workspaces, would be closed, with plans to move reporters to an annex outside the building.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 9 Apr. 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 14 May. 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
