1
as in hijacked
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in seized
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 commandeered
There is a First World War U-boat that somehow glides from underneath Lake Michigan all the way to Croatia, commandeered by its captain, post-Armistice, for new and clandestine uses.
—
Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
After the war, the Allies commandeered Volkswagen production and got the show back on the road in 1945.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
In 2021, hackers commandeered 150,000 remote cameras, including in schools, police departments, jails and health clinics.
—Srinivas Shekar, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
At one point, Neville even commandeered a bus to rescue herself and others from those horrors.
—Janelle Griffith, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
As their escape car was almost out of gas and one of the tires had been shot out, the robbers commandeered another car, but the driver took the keys with him.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 24 Dec. 2024
The wily Canuck was practically invisible for the first three weeks of the season, a victim of far flashier payers (cough, Rome, cough) that commandeered all the camera time.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024
The company has since commandeered the AI boom, most famously through the release of ChatGPT.
—Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
The rebels commandeered police headquarters and a number of military airports, along with several neighboring villages.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
After the war, the Allies commandeered Volkswagen production and got the show back on the road in 1945.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
In 2021, hackers commandeered 150,000 remote cameras, including in schools, police departments, jails and health clinics.
—Srinivas Shekar, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
At one point, Neville even commandeered a bus to rescue herself and others from those horrors.
—Janelle Griffith, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
As their escape car was almost out of gas and one of the tires had been shot out, the robbers commandeered another car, but the driver took the keys with him.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 24 Dec. 2024
The wily Canuck was practically invisible for the first three weeks of the season, a victim of far flashier payers (cough, Rome, cough) that commandeered all the camera time.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024
The company has since commandeered the AI boom, most famously through the release of ChatGPT.
—Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
The rebels commandeered police headquarters and a number of military airports, along with several neighboring villages.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeered
Verb
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Some staffers say their replies were hijacked to make a political point.—
Arthur Jones II,
ABC News,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Somewhere along the way, it was hijacked — people turned into export cargo.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In Gaza, the same preparations were being made to receive 250 Palestinian prisoners convicted of serious crimes, and 1,700 who were seized by Israel during the war and held without charge, including 22 children.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
12 Oct. 2025
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Israel is to free some 250 Palestinians serving prison sentences, as well as around 1,700 people seized from Gaza the past two years and held without charge.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In his work recovering brands that hold emotional and nostalgic value for Cubans — many of which were created by businesses confiscated by the Cuban regime after 1959 — Haber has just launched Guayabita del Pinar in Miami.—
Sarah Moreno,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
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Nonetheless, the team was stopped and arrested briefly, the camera confiscated.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Southwest then successfully converted a two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 11 points.—
Raul Avila,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Oct. 2025
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Around that time, Associated Grocers Wholesale purchased several stores and converted some into Price Choppers.—
Jenna Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As Craigslist, Google, and Facebook usurped most of what newspapers counted on for ad revenue, my beloved industry cratered in all but the urban power centers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
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The news comes as the Cybertruck was recently usurped from its position as America's best-selling electric pickup truck in the first quarter of 2025.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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However, she was momentarily stopped when one concert goer grabbed her, violently yanking her backwards and into the barricade.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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The Bruins grabbed four points with back-to-back wins over the Blackhawks and Washington Capitals.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For 30 years, the solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestinians was thought to be the Oslo Accords, the 1993 agreements meant to produce a Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza, territory that Israel had conquered in 1967 and militarily occupied since.—
Karl Vick,
Time,
11 Oct. 2025
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The Swedish military occupied the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during that time.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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An Air Force veteran stole North Carolina military members’ identities to steal rental cars and ship them to Africa and rent apartments and repost them on Airbnb, according to federal court documents.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Oct. 2025
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The incident began at Dick's Sports Goods in Chambersburg, where Foy and two others, Amir Swift, 21, and Giani Jaida McGowan, 21, allegedly stole over $1,000 worth of merchandise from the store.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commandeered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeered. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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