APPROPRIATES Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

appropriates

verb

present tense third-person singular of appropriate

as in seizes

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

Relevance

as in steals

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 appropriates By contrast, Congress appropriates much of the public-private institution’s funding and exercises oversight over the institution, which is governed by a board of regents. — Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026 The bill appropriates $495 million for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. — Carrie Brandon Elliot, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 The state appropriates within its budget to ensure bond holders know the state has the money, but the state hasn’t had to use that money because the admissions tax and tax district have funded the bond, Huston said. — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026 The lawsuit argues the freeze violated federal law, including the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional limits on executive power and how Congress appropriates funds. — Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026 The state appropriates funds for the voucher program at the beginning of the fiscal year and then seeks federal reimbursement. — Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026 But November's benefits have been disrupted due to a lack of funding deal from Congress, which appropriates the federal funds for the program. — Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025 Typically, Congress passes a budget that appropriates money for the next fiscal year to federal agencies. — Amy Maxmen, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025 Most legal scholars interpret this to mean that the president’s duty is to spend the money Congress appropriates, and that the president does not have the power to withhold funds. — Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for appropriates

Verb

Better, Cretton seizes small moments to put his stamp on this installment.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Rhaenyra, queen of the Blacks, seizes the Iron Throne in King’s Landing with the support of Alicent, who has simply had enough of her unstable and terrible sons.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026

Definition of seizes

Verb

Schmitt, 27, was in the midst of a career year, having already reached career highs in homers (21), RBIs (55) and steals (nine).

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026
Though when Pierce Brosnan took up the role in the 1999 remake, Crown steals Monet’s San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk (1908–12) from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, though that painting actually belongs to the National Museum Cardiff in Wales.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of steals

Verb

Unlike most other states, California has its own inspection-and-approval system for fireworks, and confiscates those failing standards.

— Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 30 June 2026
The children designated as Palestinians, meanwhile, have their drawings torn up and are relegated to small corners of the classroom while the teacher confiscates their candy.

— Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 26 Nov. 2025

Definition of confiscates

Verb

California courts have repeatedly refused to rewrite unconstitutional tax statutes on the grounds that this usurps the role of the Legislature or, in the case of an initiative, the people.

— Jared Walczak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2026
After witnessing Sinner miss 16 break points against the same opponent on Friday, Alcaraz would have been forgiven for worrying that something similar might happen to him — especially against arguably tennis’s greatest escape artist, at least until the Spaniard usurps him.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026

Definition of usurps

Verb

Microsoft occupies a unique position in cyber defense due to its massive enterprise install base as the largest global provider of general-purpose software.

— Will Townsend, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
The system occupies about one-seventy-fifth the volume of an active hydrogen maser while offering lower phase noise and stronger short-term stability.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of occupies

Verb

There is a seasonal meadow of two dozen native wildflowers, and a year-round spectacle of sandaster (Corethrogyne filaginifolia) commandeers much of the front yard.

— Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
An exciting scene ramps up the action as Castle commandeers a German tank and drives it over a cliff.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 June 2026

Definition of commandeers

Verb

No federal statute currently preempts state disclosure requirements, and firms advising advertisers have generally recommended continued compliance with state law while the question is litigated.

— Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
The court held that federal pesticide law preempts a state failure-to-warn claim when the Environmental Protection Agency has not required a cancer warning on the product label.

— Alex Smolak, STAT, 27 June 2026