kən-ˈfi-skət
Examples of confiscate in a Sentence
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 9 Dec. 2025
Mendoza was affiliated with the Norteño prison gang, according to court documents, and was aware of the threats to his safety after the contraband was confiscated.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 6 Dec. 2025
After the Nazis confiscated the celebrated Austrian stage director Max Reinhardt’s theatres in Germany, Reinhardt came to Hollywood and directed this masterpiece for Warner Brothers.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
Kayla Rodriguez, an AP literature teacher at Richmond High School and one of the dozens of striking union members picketing Thursday morning, said her laptop and keys were confiscated in front of students about 20 minutes before the school day was over Wednesday.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confiscate
Cite this Entry
“Confiscate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confiscate. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
confiscate
transitive verb
Note: Illegal items such as narcotics or firearms, or profits from the sale of illegal items, may be confiscated by law enforcement officers. Additionally, government action that reduces the value of property to a person or entity as to make it nearly worthless has been held to constitute confiscation. Examples of such government action include the passage of zoning laws that prevent the use of land for its designated purpose and the setting of utility rates so low that the utility company cannot realize a reasonable return on its investment.
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