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commandeer

verb

ˌkä-mən-ˈdir How to pronounce commandeer (audio)
Definition of commandeernext
1
as in to hijack
to take control of (a vehicle) by force an airliner commandeered by terrorists

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 commandeer Throughout the weekend, Elliott Martin, the FIA’s WEC electronics manager, and a small team commandeer a trailer at the back of the paddock, keeping an eye on dangerous data coming off the cars. — Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 The Jackson campaign had commandeered the green room Bottoms and her aides were supposed to use for the event. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 John’s little motorbike proves no match for the large truck commandeered by the T-1000, which blasts through a cinder block wall at one point. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 Westfield Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara, California, began charging in 2022 to discourage commuters, travelers and other people not parking there to shop from commandeering all the spots. — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeer
  1. hijack
  2. seize
  3. confiscate
  4. usurp
  5. steal
  6. convert
  7. grab
  8. occupy
Verb
  • Perhaps the biggest was that an HBO Max Reddit account was hijacked and began directing users to an app that was actually infostealer malware in disguise.
    — Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026
  • That debate accelerated in early September after Reuters reported that OpenAI’s agents hijacked a dormant German wiki site this spring.
    — Harshita Mary Varghese, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of hijack
Verb
  • The charges stemmed from fighting more than a decade ago between the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels who seized power from then-President François Bozizé, and a mainly Christian militia called the anti-Balaka.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Confession has also been a way for artists to seize authority from systems that preferred them silent, decorative, or safely explained.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • It was confiscated, and she was handed back the clear plastic case.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Both networks announced this morning that their journalists were denied access and their White House press badges confiscated.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of confiscate
Verb
  • The head coach foresaw a transition taking place over a 12-to-18-month period, whereby Trafford would eventually usurp Pope, now 34.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Jason Speaking of football-loving families, the Kelces seem to have usurped the Mannings for the sport’s first family.
    — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of usurp
Verb
  • Film and television are some of the most important exports of the country, and everybody’s stealing production from us.
    — Lane Brown, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Ruggedization protects your drive from the elements, while encryption guards your data should your SSD or HDD be lost or stolen.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of steal
Verb
  • The garage has been converted into a medical and isolation ward equipped with incubators, oxygen machines, and supplies for treating wounds and administering fluids.
    — Meg Dunn, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Hydrogel converts water into a gel, allowing multiple finishing treatments to be performed in a single bath.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of convert
Verb
  • An urge strong enough to pull me away from the kitchen, grab my computer, and steal a table outside to scribble out my thoughts.
    — Samantha Rees, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The video then shows the deputy grabbing the wallet and opening it, showing Bolduc and the bodycam the contents.
    — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • While the ceasefire halted the heaviest fighting and humanitarian conditions have improved, the Israeli military has expanded its control of Gaza and now occupies some 60% of the territory.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • American Supercritical says its system occupies about one-tenth the space of a steam system.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of occupy

Browse Nearby Words

commanded
commandeer
commandeered
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Cite this Entry

“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeer. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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