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.
Synonyms of commandeer
Examples of commandeer in a Sentence
Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
The platform was taken offline on Thursday after hackers commandeered it to display a ransom message threatening to leak sensitive information from 275 million users across about 8,800 universities that rely on Canvas.
—Matthew Kelly
may 8, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
Based on a viral short film, the movie features Martin Freeman and Susie Porter as a couple who have commandeered a houseboat to evade hordes of rapacious undead.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
Imagine, then, commandeering a private plane for the ultimate two-week adventure entirely on your own terms.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Cite this Entry
“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commandeer. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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commandeer
verb
