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
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
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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In the nineteenth century, travel to remote frontiers beyond the reach of telegraph had insulated Britain’s men on the spot from London’s authority, conceding them the freedom to seize new territory.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The union representing patrol officers quickly seized on the incident as evidence that respect for officers has declined under the new mayor.—
Anthony Izaguirre,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the Meridian Empire sets out to usurp wealthy colonies and crush the pirate republic, Cat is faced with an ultimatum – turn in the fearsome Valerian Kane, the only man she’s ever loved and the biggest threat to the Empire, or die.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
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And by the time American Jack Hughes scored the overtime winner to seal Team USA’s 2-1 win and first men’s hockey gold since the Miracle on Ice in 1980, any morning grumblings were usurped by a surge of coast-to-coast jubilation.—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Of the 700 firearms confiscated in crimes in Erie since 2023, Lorah estimated 70% were probably involved in the drug trade.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The task force aims to confiscate firearms from criminals, mentally ill individuals and suicidal individuals.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Headline-grabbing cases of apparent fraud at companies like Carriox (which allegedly misled its private-credit lenders) and auto lender Tricolor (where banks got hoodwinked) show there’s plenty of blame to go around.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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The sophomore guard has grabbed the reins for the Red Raiders in Toppin’s absence and was named the Big 12 Conference’s Player of the Week on Monday.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Vij, who is currently a vice president at Brooklyn nonprofit Powerhouse Arts, is the first person of Southeast Asian descent to occupy the role.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
2 Mar. 2026
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The assessment determined that the building was not in danger of imminent collapse and residents on Clay Street were told their homes were safe to occupy.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On Saturday, the Afghan Defense Ministry claimed that Afghan forces killed 110 Pakistani soldiers during ongoing fighting.—
MUNIR AHMED,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
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Call 1-800-955-6886 to schedule an appointment to claim your prize.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arrogate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arrogate. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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