as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
arrogated the corner office without obtaining prior approval
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Recent Examples of arrogate
But all of those ideas for spending or tax rebates, again, all of those are congressional authority that the president is arrogating to himself—something else that would have startled the founders of the country all those 250 years ago.
—
David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
Like Mao and Deng before him, Xi Jinping has arrogated to himself great power.
—Joseph Torigian, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
Politicians exist to spend, and Congress arrogated to itself what was left over after existing Social Security recipients were paid.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Trump arrogated to himself the authority to impose sweeping tariffs on the entire world, a power that properly belongs to Congress, and has caused turmoil throughout the economy; many economic indicators are now pointing in the wrong direction.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 Apr. 2025
Back before the federal government arrogated to itself an outsize role as financier of college education, the Wayne States of the world were where ambitious people who didn’t have a lot of money, who wanted to save money on college, or both, got their degrees.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
In every period, the essence of politics has been that a tin-pot tsar who wants to arrogate to himself the right to personal, unaccountable power needs to intimidate the honest people who are not afraid of him.
—Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
Instead of deferring to the people’s representatives, as the Founders intended, today originalists on the Supreme Court have arrogated power to themselves.
—Saul Cornell / Made By History, TIME, 26 July 2024
The Bibi Files uses a mix of talking-head history and in-the-room vérité to paint its picture of a leader who has arrogated power for corrupt and self-interested reasons — the allegations are of some $250,000 in gifts received in exchange for political favors — to his country’s detriment.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
Like Mao and Deng before him, Xi Jinping has arrogated to himself great power.
—Joseph Torigian, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
Politicians exist to spend, and Congress arrogated to itself what was left over after existing Social Security recipients were paid.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Trump arrogated to himself the authority to impose sweeping tariffs on the entire world, a power that properly belongs to Congress, and has caused turmoil throughout the economy; many economic indicators are now pointing in the wrong direction.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 Apr. 2025
Back before the federal government arrogated to itself an outsize role as financier of college education, the Wayne States of the world were where ambitious people who didn’t have a lot of money, who wanted to save money on college, or both, got their degrees.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
In every period, the essence of politics has been that a tin-pot tsar who wants to arrogate to himself the right to personal, unaccountable power needs to intimidate the honest people who are not afraid of him.
—Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
Instead of deferring to the people’s representatives, as the Founders intended, today originalists on the Supreme Court have arrogated power to themselves.
—Saul Cornell / Made By History, TIME, 26 July 2024
The Bibi Files uses a mix of talking-head history and in-the-room vérité to paint its picture of a leader who has arrogated power for corrupt and self-interested reasons — the allegations are of some $250,000 in gifts received in exchange for political favors — to his country’s detriment.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arrogate
Verb
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On Iowa State’s next possession, TCU senior safety Bud Clark came up with a massive interception right before the two-minute timeout, giving TCU a great opportunity to seize control of the game with the Horned Frogs getting the ball at halftime.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
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Pokrovsk would be the largest city Russia has seized since Bakhmut in May 2023.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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McCall’s banner also appears to cleverly usurp and subvert the aesthetics of European heraldry—indeed, its elegant design would look utterly correct on a beret, a medal, or a heater shield.—
Alex Jovanovich,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
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The War of the Two Caesars also serves as a nice mirror for everything going down with the Brotherhood, Elder Cleric Quintus still hellbent on usurping the Commonwealth despite the arrival of Kumail Nanjiani’s Paladin Xander Harkness, an emissary from that neck of the woods.—
Jack King,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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French authorities confiscated the cocaine.—
Jay Weaver
January 8,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
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While raising the kids together, Ruby and Hildebrandt abused the two youngest children with harsh punishments and torture, according to Ruby's journal that was later confiscated.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tri-State Fishing and Outdoor Show Don your camo gear and grab your fishing poles for the Tri-State Fishing and Outdoor Show.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
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The suspects, seen grabbing armfuls of merchandise during multiple rounds of theft, reportedly fled in a U-Haul truck, Lower Merion Police told Fox 29 Philadelphia.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The final part of the dormancy evolution puzzle is what ecologists refer to as the ecological niche a species occupies — the specific set of conditions that species evolved to exploit or the conditions under which that species is likely to be more successful when compared to other species.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
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Inside, authorities found fresh groceries, animals, and other signs that people are actively occupying some of the units.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cu also disputed prosecutors’ claims that the defendants caused up to $300,000 in damage.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
10 Jan. 2026
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At the heart of the discussion was a dispute over the legitimacy of a report that claimed Deerfield Beach would save millions of dollars by creating its own independent police and fire rescue operations.—
Carlton Gillespie,
Miami Herald,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arrogate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arrogate. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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