appropriated

verb

past tense of appropriate
1
as in seized
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right archaeologists wrongfully appropriated artifacts excavated at ancient sites for their museums

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in stole
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep you can't just appropriate somebody's term paper and put your name on it!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of appropriated Sununu, who formerly served as governor of New Hampshire, urged Congress to find more money to overhaul the air traffic control system — on top of the billions lawmakers appropriated last year to upgrade communications and radar equipment. — Joel Rose, NPR, 1 July 2026 The Legislature appropriated $5 million in one-time funding, so next year, lawmakers will have to decide whether to allocate additional money. — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026 The federal government has appropriated $22 billion of Community Development Block Grants for disaster recovery since 2020, according to HUD data. — Grace Hase, Mercury News, 1 July 2026 He was most widely known for his artworks that appropriated lyrics from Korean pop songs. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 30 June 2026 For those manufacturers, and for the neoliberals who appropriated Kahlo to sell free trade with Mexico, her life of political radicalism is left unmentioned. — Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Trump was withholding money from Ukraine that Congress had appropriated, and that was the basis for the impeachment. — Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 29 June 2026 According to Dallas, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert may negotiate pre-development agreements on prospective sites and has appropriated up to $3 million in funds for that work. — Jack Fink, CBS News, 17 June 2026 It was appropriated a decade ago as a signal for white supremacy that started as a hoax on the far-right online message board 4chan. — ABC News, 15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appropriated
  1. seized
  2. stole
  3. confiscated
  4. misappropriated
  5. usurped
  6. swiped
  7. converted
  8. claimed
Verb
  • Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who voted against the proposal in mid-June, voiced fears that the list of noncitizen voters would immediately be seized by federal immigration authorities.
    — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, Russia’s military on Saturday claimed to have seized the city of Kostiantynivka, a key defensive hub in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
    — Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • Nootbaar led off with a walk, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Blaze Jordan.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • Zach Neto singled twice, stole a base and scored two runs for the Angels, who went two for 14 with runners in scoring position.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of stole
Verb
  • In a case about Cuban property that was confiscated by Fidel Castro’s government more than 65 years ago, Kagan was the only justice to rule against the property owners.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • Smashed and confiscated Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have ordered government employees, judges, police and members of the military to stop using smartphones under a directive that took effect June 16.
    — Fatima Faizi, NPR, 10 July 2026
Definition of confiscated
Verb
  • He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condo deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.
    — Jay Weaver June 6, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
  • The judge, however, said Monday that Ramco failed to offer evidence that Prasad misappropriated hospital funds.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Definition of misappropriated
Verb
  • The update indicated that Maersk is set to fall behind CMA CGM for second-largest container shipping capacity worldwide by July 2027, while Hapag-Lloyd could be usurped by Ocean Network Express (ONE) in February 2028.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
  • Congress’s celebration, planned for a decade, has been usurped by the president’s celebration, funded by private donors and featuring a political speech by himself.
    — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
Definition of usurped
Verb
  • Ildemaro Vargas walked on four pitches with one out, swiped second and scored on a 75-mph ball that Gabriel Moreno dumped down the right-field line for a double.
    — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • Two weeks before Maria hit, Hurricane Irma swiped past the island’s northeast corner as a Category 5 storm, also knocking out power.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of swiped
Verb
  • Bellingham scored two goals 98 seconds apart in the first half, and six minutes after Jarell Quansah was sent off, Kane converted a penalty to restore England’s two-goal lead.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Half the elegant stable block (converted into a studio by Beaton) and a cozy dairy house remained.
    — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 5 July 2026
Definition of converted
Verb
  • Attorneys for the owners of the landfill, which stopped accepting trash last year, claimed this spring in the litigation that the lawsuits may be tainted by fraud.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • The lefty reliever whom the Cubs claimed off waivers in January is now one of the club’s success stories.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of claimed

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appropriate
appropriated
appropriately
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Cite this Entry

“Appropriated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appropriated. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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