1
as in hijacked
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
an airliner commandeered by terrorists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of commandeered
Elsewhere, on the corner of Broadway and Fourth streets, Mero has commandeered a once historic building that’s been burned and left to rot.
—
Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
The singer/songwriter/producer who has commandeered the charts for decades with more than 30 Top 40 pop and adult contemporary hits can easily zigzag topics, whether music past and current, shaking a martini, or applying moisturizer.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
Adam’s girlfriend, Angela, commandeered the kitchen, churning out hundreds of dumplings for dinner.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Schwarzenegger commandeered the stage with then-wife Maria Shriver to thank the crowds for the stellar turnout.
—René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 2026
Not even the closets are safe from being commandeered as exhibit space for the Chicago Collective.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
With the help of Obruchev, Safin plans to mass-produce Heracles on an island called the Poison Garden, which was once owned by his family but commandeered by SPECTRE after their murder.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
The washer and dryer were commandeered as beer coolers and Melanie’s special mix tape was blasting over the house stereo.
—Dustin Timbrook, AJC.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Not to mention, Pinterest predicts cool blue will be the new millennial pink (Sabrina Carpenter’s already commandeered the shade on and off stage, with Hailey Bieber closely following in some of her streetwear looks).
—Irene Richardson, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
The singer/songwriter/producer who has commandeered the charts for decades with more than 30 Top 40 pop and adult contemporary hits can easily zigzag topics, whether music past and current, shaking a martini, or applying moisturizer.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
Adam’s girlfriend, Angela, commandeered the kitchen, churning out hundreds of dumplings for dinner.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Schwarzenegger commandeered the stage with then-wife Maria Shriver to thank the crowds for the stellar turnout.
—René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 2026
Not even the closets are safe from being commandeered as exhibit space for the Chicago Collective.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
With the help of Obruchev, Safin plans to mass-produce Heracles on an island called the Poison Garden, which was once owned by his family but commandeered by SPECTRE after their murder.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
The washer and dryer were commandeered as beer coolers and Melanie’s special mix tape was blasting over the house stereo.
—Dustin Timbrook, AJC.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Not to mention, Pinterest predicts cool blue will be the new millennial pink (Sabrina Carpenter’s already commandeered the shade on and off stage, with Hailey Bieber closely following in some of her streetwear looks).
—Irene Richardson, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeered
Verb
-
The flick takes place at Gooding’s character’s bachelor party, which gets hijacked once Hart enters the picture.—
Juliana Ukiomogbe,
InStyle,
3 Mar. 2026
-
In 1970, Mimi was on Trans World Airlines Flight 741 when it got rerouted from Tel Aviv to to Jordan after it was hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Agents also seized about $80,000 in cash, six firearms and additional quantities of narcotics during arrests carried out Thursday morning.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Government agencies commonly seized land from Black and Latino property owners to expand cities and build infrastructure.—
Ara Rosenthal,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Of the 700 firearms confiscated in crimes in Erie since 2023, Lorah estimated 70% were probably involved in the drug trade.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Hospitals had confiscated the peroxide.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The other side of the former main-entrance doorway was converted into a stunning powder room, its Gothic arch preserved and now faceted with mosaic tile.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
7 Mar. 2026
-
In a scrappy match, the home side claimed the lead for the third and final time with eight minutes to go after a Leonardo Marin try converted by Paolo Garbisi, who was a perfect five-of-five off the kicking tee.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But streaming has usurped DVR use as a way to watch TV after the fact and is now the path to big audiences for network shows.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The lawsuit claims the executive order is unlawful and unconstitutional, specifically that DeSantis has usurped the exclusive authority of the federal government to identify and designate terrorist organizations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After scoring over Denver center Nikola Jokic in the fourth quarter, James fell to the court and immediately grabbed his left elbow.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Based on court records, witness testimony and interviews with law enforcement, it’s believed that Sarah Wondra, along with one of the roommates, grabbed Michael and brought him back to the Wondras’ house.—
Alex Brizee
March 5,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Israeli troops advanced deeper into Lebanese territory and occupied additional villages after the Lebanese military withdrew.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Ever since stepping out hand in hand with Prince Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games, Meghan Markle has occupied a singular space in the fashion discourse, equal parts modern royal and consummate California cool girl.—
Frances Solá-Santiago,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Charging documents from Howard County allege that Gough mostly stole jewelry and electronics.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
In 2018, for instance, Israel’s Mossad national intelligence agency broke into an Iranian facility and stole archives on Iran’s nuclear activities, 55,000 pages and another 55,000 files stored on CDs.—
Gregory F. Treverton,
The Conversation,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commandeered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeered. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
