1
as in to hijack
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
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2
as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
commandeered all of the equipment, as if the chem lab belonged solely to him
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Recent Examples of commandeer
The company has since commandeered the AI boom, most famously through the release of ChatGPT.
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Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Rita Ora once again returns as co-host alongside Seacrest, who’s marking his 20th year commandeering the holiday staple.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
Protesters commandeer a military vehicle in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1980.Bettmann / Getty Images
The uprising was a pivotal moment in South Korean history, Jo said, that marked the country’s last attempt at democratization before it was achieved in 1987.
—Stella Kim, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2024
Snoop commandeers the hook with a melodicism that blends effortlessly with Sting’s croons, then switches over to his signature, laconic flow before passing the baton to his costar who closes out the high-powered collaboration.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for commandeer 
Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Rita Ora once again returns as co-host alongside Seacrest, who’s marking his 20th year commandeering the holiday staple.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
Protesters commandeer a military vehicle in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1980.Bettmann / Getty Images
The uprising was a pivotal moment in South Korean history, Jo said, that marked the country’s last attempt at democratization before it was achieved in 1987.
—Stella Kim, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2024
Snoop commandeers the hook with a melodicism that blends effortlessly with Sting’s croons, then switches over to his signature, laconic flow before passing the baton to his costar who closes out the high-powered collaboration.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for commandeer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeer
Verb
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Now Microsoft has warned that attackers may be hijacking some of the most powerful AI tools available to power some of their campaigns.Zak Doffman, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
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The battlefield is your phone, and the weapon is algorithms designed to hijack attention, rewire brains and control lives.Andrae Bailey, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Officers spoke with him and seized his electronic devices.Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 11 Jan. 2025
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The Supreme Court should seize the first opportunity to overturn it.Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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School employees eventually confiscated it, finding the tan and black semi-automatic handgun inside with 30 rounds of ammunition and an attached laser pointer, charges allege.Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2025
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Corey then allegedly confiscated the women’s phones, shot the gun out the window, and then pointed the gold gun at the two ladies.Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Again, West Ham worked behind his back in advance of usurping him.Phil Hay, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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Unfortunately, mid-rehearsal, their mother, Rose (an absolutely magnificent McDonald), comes thundering onto the stage, usurping Jocko’s leadership and sucking up all of the air into the room.Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The monkey, perched on a high ledge, has stolen the man's spectacles — by jumping on the man's shoulder and grabbing them.Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 5 Jan. 2025
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Then there are cautionary tales like the one in which a boy gets his fingers cut off for being a picky eater—stories about cause and effect, separation from loved ones, stealing, and death.Max Ufberg, hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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According to the loan agreement, Grosz’s million-dollar credit line could convert into shares of Toptal, but only if certain conditions were met.Jon Fortt,Paige Tortorelli, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2025
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Your conversion rate is the percentage of users who converted after watching the video.David Ispiryan, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Fans eager to play the game as Ice Spice can grab her Fortnite skins in the Item Shop.Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 13 Jan. 2025
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So grab your favorite streaming device, line up some snacks, and let the enchantment unfold.Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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During the week of its premiere the bottom spot on Nielsen’s streaming originals list was occupied by The Great British Baking Show, which was viewed for 382 million minutes meaning that Skeleton Crew came to less than that.Caroline Reid, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
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Today, grizzly bears occupy only 4% of their former range, which included much of the Rocky Mountain Region, extended up into western and central Canada and northern Mexico, according to environmental nonprofit WildEarth Guardians.Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeer. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
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