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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of commandeered
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
In 2024, the gang commandeered several apartment buildings in Aurora, making national headlines as violent criminals held the complexes for ransom.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, the Potomac franchise does not exist in reality but instead is a mildly dystopian parallel universe commandeered by the chaotic whims of Big Sister General Gizelle Bryant; therefore, Angel being a general pill doesn’t suffice as a legitimate reason to take issue with her.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
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
In 2024, the gang commandeered several apartment buildings in Aurora, making national headlines as violent criminals held the complexes for ransom.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, the Potomac franchise does not exist in reality but instead is a mildly dystopian parallel universe commandeered by the chaotic whims of Big Sister General Gizelle Bryant; therefore, Angel being a general pill doesn’t suffice as a legitimate reason to take issue with her.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandeered
Verb
-
That loophole was hijacked by the industry, and it was used to add thousands upon thousands of new ingredients into our food supply.—
Sarah Koch,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Love tried to explain the feeling, but Bryant hijacked his moment once again.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Authorities have seized more than €957,000 in cash, including €67,000 in foreign currency.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
13 Feb. 2026
-
While Japan has seized fishing vessels from South Korea and Taiwan in recent years, the incident is the first involving a vessel from China since 2022 and comes against the backdrop of a major diplomatic dispute between the countries.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Last month, the FBI raided a Georgia election office and confiscated hundreds of boxes of material from the 2020 election.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Her employee badge, keys and computer were confiscated, according to the memo.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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About 60,000 street lights are eligible to be converted to solar, according to Yaroslavsky.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Critics across the political spectrum have argued that repeatedly extending the emergency effectively converted a disaster-response reserve into a standing funding stream for immigration policy.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Many printers and news businesses were created, usurped or exchanged hands frequently during the 1910s era.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Look at how Taco Tuesday is circling the drain because the tariffs of President TrumpAlwaysChickensOut have usurped every other day of the week.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Doncic turned to run back up the court and grabbed the back of his left leg.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Jarrett Allen scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Dennis Schroder added 11 points in his Cavaliers debut and Keon Ellis had 6 points in his first game with the Cavaliers, who won for the seventh time in eight games.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Puerto Rico was first colonized by the Spanish from 1493 until 1898, the year that the United States occupied the country as part of the Spanish-American War.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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Prop 19, passed in 2020, limited the transfer of a lower tax base only to homes that a child or heir actually occupied, and excluded rental homes.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pullman also stole from the union on his own, the office said, using his position debit card to pay for items like a vacation to Miami and lunch of champagne and caviar in New York with his then-girlfriend.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
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The story follows Jean Valjean, an embittered convict who stole bread to feed his sister’s starving family.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commandeered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandeered. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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