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
In 2021, hackers commandeered 150,000 remote cameras, including in schools, police departments, jails and health clinics.
—
Srinivas Shekar, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
When the State Department commandeers the West Virginia hotel to house Axis diplomats in the wake of Pearl Harbor, June realizes that nothing will ever be the same again.
—Audiofile Magazine
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
At one point, Neville even commandeered a bus to rescue herself and others from those horrors.
—Janelle Griffith, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Trump declared a crime emergency earlier in August, and his administration deployed federal law enforcement agencies and National Guard members to the District, giving them unprecedented authority to patrol its streets while also commandeering the Metropolitan Police force.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Srinivas Shekar, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
When the State Department commandeers the West Virginia hotel to house Axis diplomats in the wake of Pearl Harbor, June realizes that nothing will ever be the same again.
—Audiofile Magazine
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
At one point, Neville even commandeered a bus to rescue herself and others from those horrors.
—Janelle Griffith, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Trump declared a crime emergency earlier in August, and his administration deployed federal law enforcement agencies and National Guard members to the District, giving them unprecedented authority to patrol its streets while also commandeering the Metropolitan Police force.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commandeer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeer
Verb
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If your social media account is hijacked, scammers can use it to trick your friends, family or followers, spreading fraud even further under your name.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
23 Sep. 2025
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But this past weekend, users noticed the title was secretly installing malware on their PCs that could hijack cryptocurrency wallets.—
Senior Reporter,
PC Magazine,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The boost would be short-lived, as the Shamrocks seized the momentum back with a strong defensive response and took possession over at the Spartans’ 29-yard line.—
Erik Anderson,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
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In September, the DEA in Atlanta seized over 1,000 pounds of meth in an operation targeting the CJNG.—
Asher Redd,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once confiscated, the plants spend the rest of their lives at the botanical garden, where their seeds can be banked for future conservation projects.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
26 Sep. 2025
-
During the latest protests in Indonesia, authorities confiscated banners and labeled them treasonous.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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He has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with the sheriff and of usurping her authority, leading the county Board of Supervisors to eliminate his position in November 2024.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
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In the battle to usurp the Conservative Party, Robinson is eclipsed by the growing strength of Reform UK, a political party led by Nigel Farage.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The play that drew Reeve’s ire was Alyssa Thomas stealing the ball from Napheesa Collier near the 3-point line and going toward the other end of the court for the game-sealing layup.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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Thankfully, my passport wasn’t stolen, nor was it stranded somewhere in the middle of the rainforest (my worst fear at the time).—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At 32 years old, Weaver is unlikely to receive a long-term deal, so his free agency will be interesting in terms of length and value for a pitcher past his prime looking to convert back from the bullpen to the starting rotation.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
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Boston said the team has opened ticket deposits and will begin converting them into full season ticket sales in the coming weeks.—
Asli Pelit,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On third-and-9 from the 50, Murray threw a contested pass that receiver Zay Jones couldn’t grab.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
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Thomas grabbed her husband’s ashes and some cash before trying to rescue her German shepherd, Storm, her companion of more than six years.—
Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As Hughes is preparing to take the corner, Richards attacks the back-post zone and Munoz dashes towards the near post to occupy Kyle Walker-Peters.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
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The temperature map of the cosmic microwave background can be broken up into different components, some of which occupy large angular scales in the sky, and some of which occupy small angular scales, as well as everything in-between.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeer. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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