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
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Recent Examples of appropriated
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
Last fiscal year, the county appropriated nearly $500 million to cover possible payouts on claims from fire victims of the Airport fire.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
When Congress appropriated the $150 million, only America250 was planning celebrations for the 250th.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2026
In its madcap way, the film explores how fashion is raced and subsequently appropriated.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
One of the designs that Shein allegedly appropriated was a shirt from INAC’s Red Day Dress collection, which is designed to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit People.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 27 May 2026
Moreover, such a reassessment is supposed to consider these impacts in a larger environment of contemporary communication in order to trace instances of remediation too, namely, to reveal how characteristics of old media are replaced or appropriated and incorporated.
—Carmen Daniela Maier, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
By 2010, Congress appropriated $19 million for the effort.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026
In 1987 the artist Magdalena Suarez Frimkess appropriated this darkly funny scene for a wall ceramic created with her late husband, Michael Frimkess.
—Carolina A. Miranda, The New York Review of Books, 22 May 2026
ABC News, 15 June 2026
Last fiscal year, the county appropriated nearly $500 million to cover possible payouts on claims from fire victims of the Airport fire.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
When Congress appropriated the $150 million, only America250 was planning celebrations for the 250th.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2026
In its madcap way, the film explores how fashion is raced and subsequently appropriated.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
One of the designs that Shein allegedly appropriated was a shirt from INAC’s Red Day Dress collection, which is designed to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit People.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 27 May 2026
Moreover, such a reassessment is supposed to consider these impacts in a larger environment of contemporary communication in order to trace instances of remediation too, namely, to reveal how characteristics of old media are replaced or appropriated and incorporated.
—Carmen Daniela Maier, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
By 2010, Congress appropriated $19 million for the effort.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026
In 1987 the artist Magdalena Suarez Frimkess appropriated this darkly funny scene for a wall ceramic created with her late husband, Michael Frimkess.
—Carolina A. Miranda, The New York Review of Books, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appropriated
Verb
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Detectives served a search warrant at Miner’s home and seized multiple items, including his cellphone.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Dec. 2025
-
In recent years, the facelift has seized the zeitgeist.—
Jolene Edgar,
Allure,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The Angels had a chance to get an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh, when Oswald Peraza led off with a hit and stole second and third.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
-
The Raiders kept the momentum firing in the bottom of the inning, cutting the deficit to two after Clements reached on an error, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored after an errant throw following the groundout.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Violators can face fines up to $100,000, see their drones confiscated and even face criminal charges for flying within three miles of one of the games.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
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Mthombeni said police had swept the area three weeks ago and confiscated guns and ammunition for AK-47 rifles and arrested three people, AFP reported, adding that a resident told the eNCA broadcaster that people from the neighboring nation Lesotho lived in the settlement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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West Suburban shut its doors in March and remains mired in court battles over tens of millions in unpaid debt, misappropriated state loans and a billing system failure that wiped out $500 million in revenue.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
-
The money was instead misappropriated for her own benefit, with significant sums of the fraud redirected to gambling expenses.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
James Purefoy plays King Randor, He-Man’s father and the previous ruler of Eternia who was usurped by Skeletor.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
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The Kings have gone 8-24 with just four regulation wins in the playoffs since Robitaille usurped Lombardi and ousted Coach Darryl Sutter simultaneously.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But a two-out walk in the second came back to bite him after Matt McClain swiped second base and scored on Tyler Stephenson’s single to center.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 June 2026
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Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon swiped right on husband Jussi-Pekka Kajaala's Tinder profile, a friend told PEOPLE in April 2018 after the athlete confirmed his new romance.—
Joyann Jeffrey,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The medical drama, which received 13 Emmy nominations last month, is the first show to produce a perfect sweep since 2020, when Watchmen also converted all four of its nominations into wins.—
Joyce Eng Published,
EW.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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These tenants that moved out lived in cottages that were converted from stables and rented out by the Crown state.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Chicagoans have a deep reverence for the thick, unique pizza style, and Cornell and Stevenson said visitors from the Windy City have claimed Zelda’s is the most authentic version of the pie in California.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
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Court documents allege Evergreen Grocery and Deli claimed to have served more than 3,000 meals twice daily, seven days a week.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Appropriated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appropriated. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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