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

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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!

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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 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 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, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025 In addition to the monthly BLS data on jobs and inflation, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a federal agency housed inside the Commerce Department, said Wednesday it is required to suspend operations until Congress appropriates funding for this fiscal year. —

Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for appropriates

Verb

Rather than intercepting income at the source, a bank levy freezes and seizes funds that are already sitting in your checking or savings account.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Like any well-meaning grifter, Anna (Halle Bailey) seizes the opportunity to hop a flight to picturesque Tuscany after meeting a handsome Italian stranger with an empty villa.

— Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026