commandeer
verb
Did you know?
Military forces have always had the power to commandeer houses. The Declaration of Independence complains about the way the British soldiers have done it, and the third Amendment to the Constitution states that the commandeering of people's houses shall be done only in a way prescribed by law. Almost anything—food, supplies, livestock, etc.—can be militarily commandeered when the need arises. But you don't have to be in the military for someone to "pull rank" on you: Your father may commandeer the car just when you were about to take it out for the evening, your teacher may commandeer your cell phone as you're texting in the middle of class, or your older sister may commandeer the TV remote to watch some lousy dancing competition.
Examples of commandeer in a Sentence
Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 30 June 2025
President Trump commandeered 2,000 members of California’s National Guard and placed them under federal control, bypassing the opposition of state leaders, and then sent another 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the greater Los Angeles area.
—Bora Erden, New York Times, 13 June 2025
The Administration wants to commandeer local police officers as federal ICE agents while strong-arming local officials with threats of withholding federal funds.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
But in February, the rock titans will commandeer the 4,100-capacity Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for a dozen shows.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Cite this Entry
“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commandeer. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
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commandeer
verb
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