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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of commandeer
In a hilarious video of the interaction, the former Memphis Grizzlies star — who had 25 points and three blocks in the game — stood stock still as Mandel commandeered the interview.
—
Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeer
Verb
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Opting out of the primary opens the door for the most partisan elements of a party to hijack the nomination process.—
Kent Thiry,
Denver Post,
27 Apr. 2026
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In the final cut, Mabel accidentally stumbles upon research being done by her biology professor (Kathy Najimy), discovers the technology, and hijacks a robot beaver.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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More recently, Republican gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco has drawn scrutiny for using his position as Riverside County sheriff to seize some 650,000 ballots in the county to determine whether they were fraudulently counted.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Investigators recovered a 9 mm SIG Sauer handgun, according to the filing, and seized electronic devices as part of the investigation.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The government, which insists Lai is Chinese, is seeking to confiscate his assets on national security grounds.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
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Detectives confiscated over $10,000 cash, along with narcotics and a firearm, after serving a search warrant Thursday in Westland, Michigan.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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That could impact the situation of Clarke, who outplayed Doughty and usurped his former position on the power play but logged fewer minutes at right defense just the same.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
2 May 2026
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Hegseth and Feinberg, Phelan said, had imposed rigid control over submarine and shipbuilding decisions, effectively usurping the Navy’s authority, these people said.—
Dan Lamothe,
Washington Post,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The Golden Knights regained the lead in the best-of-seven second-round series, 2-1, after stealing Game 1 in Vegas and very nearly being shut out in Game 2.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
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The Sixers had momentum — a chance to steal (yes, steal) a game against a far (yes, far) superior Knicks team and salvage what was left of their playoff hopes after ceding the first two games of the second-round series at Madison Square Garden.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Initial estimates put repair pricetag at about $400,000, leading the Riverwalk Commission and the now-defunct Exchange Club of Naperville to consider alternatives, including converting the fountain into a static art installation or creating a more natural water feature with plantings.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
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Last October, the company acquired Waterford’s Crystal Mall, with plans to convert the building into office space for thousands of engineers, software developers and support staff.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Mikal Bridges grabbed the offensive rebound and threw it out to Jalen Brunson.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
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The director also grabbed images on the fly, using his iPhone during location scouting to get close-ups of the insects and on set during forest chases.—
Stuart Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Nonetheless, Israel has continued to strike deep within Lebanon, and its army occupies much of the country’s south.—
Sarah Tamimi,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
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More commonly, prescribed burning is halted because Forest Service staff are occupied fighting wildfires.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeer. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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