1
as in to hijack
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
But renewable technology, coupled with electrification, is ready for prime time and has now commandeered a starring role.
—
Kathleen Biggins,
Sun Sentinel,
26 May 2026
The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t going to allow New York’s celebrity row to commandeer their Rocket Arena courtside seats in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.
—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
During the Brooks-Baxter War, the club's quarters were commandeered by armed guards of the Joseph Brooks faction, who locked the members out and then used the facility as a military hospital.
—
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2026
Antwaun Sargent commandeered the Gagosian booth, which has a pleasantly group show-y feel, with a nice moment featuring a Theaster Gates sculpture flanked by a Stanley Whitney painting and a Tyler Mitchell photograph.
—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Kathleen Biggins,
Sun Sentinel,
26 May 2026
The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t going to allow New York’s celebrity row to commandeer their Rocket Arena courtside seats in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.
—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
During the Brooks-Baxter War, the club's quarters were commandeered by armed guards of the Joseph Brooks faction, who locked the members out and then used the facility as a military hospital.
—
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2026
Antwaun Sargent commandeered the Gagosian booth, which has a pleasantly group show-y feel, with a nice moment featuring a Theaster Gates sculpture flanked by a Stanley Whitney painting and a Tyler Mitchell photograph.
—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeer
Verb
-
Tired of living in Cinderella’s shadow, Lilith steals the Fairy Godmother’s (Bette Midler) magic wand and hijacks the Royal Ball with her sister, Margot (Stephanie Hsu).
-
Each protects the others from being hijacked.
Verb
-
Hilton, running on a platform of affordability and lowering taxes, has seized on the sentiment, casting health coverage for immigrants without legal status as deeply unfair and a direct threat to the state’s ability to help citizens.
-
So far this year, 17 tons of illicit drugs, mostly cocaine, have been seized in the Pacific region – more than three times the total across the whole of last year, according to the Australian Federal Police.
Verb
-
Abu Safiya also had his eyeglasses confiscated during his detainment and since been experiencing vision issues, according to Abbas.
-
The prisoners were at one point given life jackets, but they were later confiscated after guards found them being used as pillows, the court document said.
Verb
-
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in March upheld a complaint by Ukraine that Russia’s chess federation had usurped control of the game in areas of Ukraine captured by the Russian military.
-
The two are separate, Bourne writes, even if, in war, the state tries to usurp the country and speak for it.
Verb
-
Bald eagle are also known to scavenge for food and carrion, even stealing from other hunting birds mid-flight.
-
The show was canceled that year, after Mencia was accused of stealing material from other comedians.
Verb
-
McTominay, whose iconic bicycle kick against Denmark was the defining goal of Scotland’s World Cup qualifying campaign, threatened multiple times past the 80th minute but couldn’t convert.
-
That has put a focus on Iran’s stockpile of uranium and its program to convert this naturally occurring element into material that can sustain a nuclear reaction — a process called enrichment.
Verb
-
There is an art to cutting a cantaloupe, which starts long before grabbing the knife and cutting board.
-
Schmidt can be forgiven for making this headline-grabbing prediction.
Verb
-
The cabana frame was lifted by strong winds before crashing into an area occupied by guests near the resort's pool deck.
-
Law enforcement also linked Sanchez-Munoz to a June 11 shooting in which a vehicle occupied by an adult and a child was hit by gunfire in the area of Seventh Street and Metropolitan Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas.
Cite this Entry
“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeer. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
