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
Under the cover of night, a flotilla of boats, some of them commandeered from local fishermen, tried to cross the Dnipro and land on the embankment near the plant, according to three Ukrainian military officers involved in the planning and execution of the assault.
—
Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
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
Thiel, having commandeered the school’s security system, downloads all student data and begins to observe and report.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
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
Thiel, having commandeered the school’s security system, downloads all student data and begins to observe and report.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeered
Verb
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Supporters of these reforms say zoning laws have been hijacked by NIMBYs, and control should be shifted away from local leaders to cities and states.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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Years of overwork and stress had hijacked my brain.—
Danielle Postel-Vinay,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The militants have seized large amounts of weaponry from government forces and demonstrated their ability to use drones, says the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), which analyzes terrorist groups.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
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In 2014, after Russia seized Crimea, President Obama imposed sanctions on the individuals and groups responsible for the aggression.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Victoria discussed payment, methods, and timing in messages discovered on a phone that was eventually confiscated from Amato by security guards.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
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Ogles’ phone was confiscated by the FBI in 2024.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That requires additional coordination with FEMA, since bought out properties are otherwise required to be converted to open space.—
Amber Gaudet
Updated October 31,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Oct. 2025
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Some Kirkland's Home locations are set to shutter by the end of the year, but they will not be converted to Bed Bath & Beyond locations.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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No Blue Jay has usurped Carter in that category this October.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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In September, the company's Cofounder and Chairman Larry Ellison briefly usurped Elon Musk as the world's richest person, according to a Bloomberg ranking, with a majority of the 81-year-old’s $400 billion net worth tied to Oracle.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After the fight, Meza grabbed a revolver from his car and shot Christina.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Club name changed the narrative with its quarterly results as its cloud computing unit grabbed market share, again.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One of them was used in an attack on the bridge linking Russia and occupied Crimea in June, the SBU said.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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Today, many of them are occupied by a variety of shops, cafes, and antique markets just waiting to be explored.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Just hours before the thieves quietly stole the historic coins, four chainsaw-wielding thieves broke into the Louvre Museum in Paris using a ladder boosted by a mechanical boom truck to force a window open at the famed museum and steal millions of dollars worth of jewelry.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Boasting a skinny heel and pointy toe, Williams’ patent leather heels stole the spotlight at the event, which was held at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo, Spain.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commandeered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeered. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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