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 Curious Londoners stopped to figure out why a marching band, a blue bird and a few hundred Americans had suddenly commandeered a stretch of Oxford Street. — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026 Inside the farmhouse, the kitchen speaker has been entirely commandeered by cast members Earl Cave and Conrad Khan. — Riann Phillip, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026 Out-of-control AI escapes human oversight, commandeers vital infrastructure and kills millions of people or even all of humanity. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026 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 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
  • The Omani Flydubai co-pilot who hijacked a passenger plane last week planned to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion International Airport in central Israel, UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al Shamsi said on Friday.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Season 2’s trailer shows hitwoman Julie reluctantly teaming up with Edward once again, when his dream honeymoon with Kayla (Shalom Brune-Franklin) is hijacked and his new wife taken hostage.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of hijack
Verb
  • Meanwhile in 2023, the company seized the opportunity to launch on TikTok Shop with select brands shortly after the platform’s Stateside debut, and has since continued to innovate there through live-selling and cutting-edge creator partnerships.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The document notes that a bailiff has previously seized and auctioned property from the premises, but that has not met the debt.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • Those numbers include 759 false identification cards confiscated, 378 alcohol-possession-by-a-minor violations and 98 fake-ID citations during the calendar-year reporting period, according to Oxford Police.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Police returned 13 of the cats confiscated in the raid to their owners.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of confiscate
Verb
  • But by the end of the movie, Verity is dead and her publishing empire has been usurped by her ghostwriter.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Murray said that in recent spending negotiations, Democrats fought to include language to prevent the administration from usurping Congress’ power on spending decisions, but Republicans have declined to go along.
    — Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of usurp
Verb
  • And the other film is about a Jordanian farmer and the water loss in Jordan, because there’s a whole political situation going on with water being stolen by Israel.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is stationed at Futenma Air Station, on suspicion of strangling Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in the island's capital city, Naha, early Saturday and stealing her wallet and backpack.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of steal
Verb
  • Software then converts those measurements into a digital reconstruction that follows the material’s movements almost in real time.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
  • An 18th-century Cotswold stone tithe barn was converted into a party barn, with a large central hall, a bar, and a mezzanine gallery.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of convert
Verb
  • Ditto for the reinterpretation of thong sandals that grabbed attention at Givenchy and Jean Paul Gaultier, or the clear vinyl-like styles seen at Balenciaga, Chloé, Simone Rocha, Stella McCartney and Moschino, among others.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Mel Ismail, a 56-year-old father, was rescued by another surfer who just happened to show up at the beach and was willing to risk his own life by grabbing his board and heading towards the bloody water.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • Not far away, armed men had been occupying makeshift barricades, blocking roads and turning some drivers away.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Three women sit in front of me, each one occupying a salon chair in a tiny room with a single shampoo bowl, and one window that faces a bare, enclosed courtyard with yellowing grass.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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