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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of commandeer
Police say that when the friend refused, Rosas punched him in the face, knocking out his tooth, and commandeered the car.
—
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Although this year’s edition of the Oscars, which aired on ABC on March 15, was hardly in the class of the 1972 installment, there was at least one moment that recalled Johnson’s witty, graceful sendup of stars commandeering the ceremony to climb atop their soapbox.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Republicans describe it as a way for liberals in northern Virginia to commandeer congressional districts in the rest of the state.
—Meg Kinnard The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
After commandeering the offense with shot volume in recent games, Edwards played a real floor game to get his teammates involved.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Although this year’s edition of the Oscars, which aired on ABC on March 15, was hardly in the class of the 1972 installment, there was at least one moment that recalled Johnson’s witty, graceful sendup of stars commandeering the ceremony to climb atop their soapbox.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Republicans describe it as a way for liberals in northern Virginia to commandeer congressional districts in the rest of the state.
—Meg Kinnard The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
After commandeering the offense with shot volume in recent games, Edwards played a real floor game to get his teammates involved.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeer
Verb
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These behaviors can hijack any classroom and challenge even the best teachers.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Carl says, in a confessional, that the conversation didn’t go anywhere and Kyle just hijacked it by complaining about his life.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Shaw says a firearm that was believed to have been used was seized.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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The laws, which her party backed in recent years, eliminated preliminary detention in certain cases and raised the threshold for seizing criminal assets.—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The same casino employee returned with an Indiana State Police officer, Fagan said, who confiscated the banner again.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Will our king have the DOJ and the FBI confiscate voting machines?—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rookie catcher Daniel Susac isn’t going to usurp Bailey, a two-time Gold Glover, after a couple of good starts, but Susac could very well see more time against lefties.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
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One wonders how long the citizens of those communities are going to put up with the state usurping their authority to govern themselves.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After Stewart stole second, Suárez doubled to center to give Cincinnati a 2-0 lead.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Lourenco's administration has vowed to crack down on corruption and has worked to recover funds allegedly stolen in the dos Santos era.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The screen protector converts harsh blue light into beneficial red light to help reduce eye strain, promote skin rejuvenation, and create a calmer, more comfortable screen experience.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Engineers at Rice University have developed a dual-bacterial system that converts chemical signals directly into electrical output, creating a new type of bioelectronic sensor that could detect pollutants, health markers, and antibiotics using simple electrical readouts.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cynthia proceeds to call Porsha, and Angela grabs the phone, executing an amazing assist like her baller husband, and forces Porsha to speak directly to Kelli.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
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As soon as the door opens, Sadie jumps up to greet Koch before darting off to grab a toy, bounding back toward Koch with her tail still wagging.—
Shafiq Najib,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Instead, Kahan occupies a funny spot in the pop-music cosmos—music for people who own too much performance fleece to embrace the bombast of Taylor Swift but aren’t quite feral enough for the cacophony of Geese.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeer. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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